The last line of the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor states that "I will always uphold the constitution, my community and the agency I serve."

During his 34 years of life, Boston police officer John Moynihan has done service in all three areas with honor and dignity.After high school, he joined the United States Army, went to Ranger school and served in Iraq during 2006-07.While serving in the Boston police force in April 2013, Moynihan was one of the first responders to Watertown during the hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers. That day, he helped save a transit police officer who was shot in the leg and nearly bled to death.Last May, he and 52 other officers were honored as "America's Top Cops" at a White House ceremony.In addition he won the Boston Police Department's Medal of Honor last year.He then joined the Boston police Youth Violence Task Force, which has the dangerous task of removing guns from Boston streets.Last year, the youth violence task force helped to seize more than 700 guns.Last Friday, Moynihan and five other officers, traveling in two cars, stopped a vehicle looking for weapons after hearing reports of shots being fired in a city neighborhood. A video from the scene shows Moynihan approaching the driver's door when the suspect, Angelo West, suddenly pulls a .357 Magnum handgun and shoots the officer in the face at point-blank range.Continuing to fire at the other officers as he tried to run away, West was killed when police returned fire. Moynihan is now recovering after undergoing successful surgery to remove a bullet from near his right ear.West had a violent criminal past. In 2001, after firing at and then wrestling with police over his gun, West told officers he didn't care if they shot him.Convicted of two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and firearms charges, he was sentenced to seven to 10 years in state prison. After his third conviction for illegal possession of a firearm last year, he was released on probation. The Rev. Mark Scott of the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston called last week's shooting an "assassination-style" hit.Moynihan knew that working on America's inner city streets was hazardous duty. Just as in Iraq, he found himself confronting an enemy in Boston who placed little value on human life.The people of Boston should be thankful there are police officers like John Moynihan patrolling their streets and watching their backs.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com