Officer Wounded In East Boston Shootout Released From Rehab Center

BOSTON (CBS) -- One of the officers seriously wounded in a shootout in East Boston last month will be going home from a rehab facility in time for Thanksgiving.

Boston Police said Monday afternoon that Officer Matt Morris was released from Spaulding Rehab, about one month after he was transferred there from Massachusetts General Hospital.

Morris and Officer Richard Cintolo were wounded after being shot on Gladstone Street on October 12 by 33-year-old city constable Kirk Figueroa.

More: Hundreds Donate Blood In Support Of Officers Shot In East Boston

When Morris and Cintolo went into the house to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance, police say Figueroa opened fire with a tactical shotgun. Figueroa was then shot and killed by officers.

While they exchanged gunfire with Figueroa, responding officers pulled Morris and Cintolo to safety, then tended to Morris's wounds with a tourniquet and their own hands.

"I'm lucky to be here and there are a lot of people to thank for keeping me here," said Officer Morris. "To everybody I say thank you."

Morris is a 12-year veteran of the BPD. During the shootout, he was shot in a main artery in his leg, losing a large amount of blood as a result.

The day after the shootout, Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans credited responding officers' use of a tourniquet with saving Officer Morris's life, and said the particular officer who applied the tourniquet had just learned to do so the week before.

In a tweet, Commissioner Evans said, "So happy Matt's been released from @SpauldingRehab. Timing couldn't have been better. Extra reason to be thankful."

Spaulding Rehab wished Officer Morris the best in his continued recovery on Twitter.