Injured police Officer Brian Arterburn returns home to Wichita

The red and blue sirens near Wichita Eisenhower National Airport provided continuous light as Wichita police Officer Brian Arterburn arrived home Wednesday afternoon.

As he landed, water from two fire truck hoses provided a tunnel for the plane to go through.

Standing in front of the police cars providing the lights, about 100 officers stood to welcome Arterburn’s return from a Texas rehabilitation hospital.

The Wichita police officer was critically injured in February when he was run over by a man fleeing police in a stolen SUV.

Arterburn was unconscious for several days after he was hit and underwent multiple surgeries. He started breathing on his own in late February and then graduated to walking on his own.

When the officer was able to stand and walk off the plane and across the tarmac alongside his wife, the officers cheered and offered a continuous line of hugs and handshakes.

“I missed my home, I missed my children, I missed my family,” Arterburn said.

Wichita police Capt. Jeff Weible said the job is part of who Arterburn is.

“When he told me he was going to come back tomorrow, I said, ‘Well, take your time because there’s still a lot of work to be done,’” Weible said.

Arterburn will continue his treatment at home in Wichita.

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Injured police Officer Brian Arterburn returns home to Wichita."