As he got out of his cruiser while responding to a heist at Musto Jewelers in Woburn in 2011, Robert DeNapoli was shot six times at close range in the hand, arms, legs and left eye. The first to arrive on scene, Bob immediately exchanged gunfire with the suspect, hitting the suspect twice as DeNapoli took multiple rounds.When a round hit him in the hand taking off most of his index finger, the trigger to his gun was damaged and would no longer fire leaving him with no weapon.
He was transported to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington in critical condition and after several surgeries and days of treatment, was able to return home. Though the 17-year veteran’s career as a law enforcement officer came to an end as a result of his injuries, which left him blind in his left eye and walking with a limp, he continues to remain active in the law enforcement community through V.I.P.O., assisting and teaching officers about line-of-duty death policies and procedures.