Two Boston officers wounded in shooting undergo surgery

Two Boston police officers who were wounded during a shooting are recovering at a hospital Thursday.

Officers Richard Cintolo and Matt Morris have had surgery, with police saying that one of them was probably saved by another officer who put a tourniquet on his leg after an artery was severed.

The shooting occurred in East Boston Wednesday just before 11 p.m. Authorities noted that the officers responded to a call for a man who said his roommate was threatening him with a knife.

"The officers immediately went in to investigate,” Commissioner William Evans of the Boston Police Department said during a press conference. “At that time, the suspect, who has been identified as Kirk Figueroa, 33 years (old), displayed what we believed to be a tactical shotgun at that time, and began firing at the officers."

Witnesses described the scene.

"There were a lot of gunshots, like, more than 30 gunshots,” Jalisa Hopkins said.

While the officers were wounded, Figueroa was killed.

"He chose to use deadly force, and when someone is going to use deadly force, we're going to respond appropriately,” Evans said.

Not only did Figeuroa have a shotgun, police said he was also wearing body armor.

"I don't know what was going through his mind,” Evans said. “All I can tell you is he was a dangerous individual.”

Figeuroa, who was a city constable, called himself a bounty hunter. But police said he was not licensed to have a gun.