‘Whirlwind of emotions’: Wichita officer shot during June 19 attack out of hospital
A Wichita police officer shot in the head and legs during an attack at a south Wichita home on June 19 has been released from the hospital after a nearly month-long stay, Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said on social media Monday.
The officer, who has only been identified publicly by his badge number, has been transferred to a rehabilitation facility where he’ll receive additional treatment to aid in his recovery, the chief said on Facebook.
It wasn’t immediately clear how long that will take or whether or when the officer might return to duty. He is a five-year veteran of the Wichita Police Department.
“It’s been a whirlwind of emotions today, but here’s some good news to share,” Ramsay wrote in the Monday afternoon post. “This morning we had a send-off for our officer who was shot last month in the line of duty. Today he was released from the hospital and transferred to a rehab facility!
“The outpouring of community support for this hero has been overwhelming, and we’re very thankful for the progress he’s made in his recovery so far.”
A video of the send-off shared by the chief on Facebook shows the officer smiling and giving a thumbs up to an applauding crowd as he is pushed out of the hospital doors in a wheelchair.
Several police officers and officials were in attendance, including a number of motorcycle cops who escorted a van carrying the officer off of hospital property.
The officer was shot three times on June 19 as a man hiding in a backyard shed with a semi-automatic “AR-15 style assault rifle” opened fire on police investigating a report of a physical disturbance with domestic violence ties at a house in the 500 block of West Carlyle. The man, Tyler Hodge, began shooting after an officer ordered him twice to put the gun down, authorities said last month.
Officers pulled the injured cop to safety and drove him to the hospital that night. In the days after the shooting, police officials described his condition as critical but stable and improving.
Hodge was killed by police during the gun battle. In total, he fired 18 rounds, police said previously.
The Honore Adversis Foundation is accepting donations on behalf of the injured officer. Donations can be made online at www.honorduringadversity.org.
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 11:25 AM.
