In this powerful episode of "Wearing the Badge," Garry McCarthy sits down with longtime friend and former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to revisit the darkest days of his career — the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Davis recounts his path from patrolman in Lowell to leading the city of Boston, the chaos of that Patriots’ Day, and the manhunt that followed.

The two veteran chiefs reflect on leadership, the human toll of policing, and the camaraderie that stretches across departments and decades. Along the way, they trade war stories from the drug wars, mob investigations, and personal moments that reveal the heart behind the badge.

Chapters:

00:00 Cold Open: Chaos in Boston

01:00 Baseball Rivalries & Old Friendships

04:00 Ed’s Start in Lowell Policing

06:00 Cutting Teeth on the Streets

09:00 Vice & Narcotics in the ’80s

11:00 The War on Drugs & Its Failures

14:00 Battling Organized Crime & Whitey Bulger

16:00 Mob Stories from Boston & Chicago

19:00 Wiretaps and the Rise to Chief

20:00 Cleaning Up the Lowell PD

21:30 Community Policing and Crime Drops

23:00 Major City Chiefs & National Policing Network

33:00 The Boston Marathon: A Festive Day Turns Deadly

34:30 Immediate Response to the Bombings

40:00 The Investigation & FBI Tensions

49:00 Sean Collier and the Watertown Shootout

53:00 Skip Shooting and Tamerlan Neutralized

56:00 The Manhunt and Lockdown

59:00 The Boat Capture & Final Arrest

1:02:00 Reflections on Leadership and Resilience

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