Watertown Police: Tsarnaev's Friends Could Have Saved a Life

Watertown Police spokesman Lt. Michael Lawn told WBZ-TV that he believes a call from Dzohkar Tsarnaev's friends could have saved a life.

Two of Tsarnaev's college friends, Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, are charged with conspiring to destroy evidence linking Tsarnaev to the April 15 blasts that killed three and injured hundreds. A third friend, Robel Phillipos, is charged with lying to investigators about going to Tsarnaev’s dorm room to get the evidence.

Lawn said if the friends had just called police and helped them find Tsarnaev instead of covering for him, MIT Officer Sean Collier's life might have been saved and MBTA Transit Police Officer Richard Donohue might not have been wounded; the Watertown firefight and manhunt could have been avoided.

Lawyers for all three men say they are innocent of all charges and are cooperating with authorities.

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