Texas officer returning to force three years after horrific injuries
Fort Worth officer Matt Brazeal was nearly killed when he was hit by a stolen car and dragged 100 feet. Brazeal underwent more than 70 surgeries during his recovery.
Three years ago, Fort Worth police officer Matt Brazeal narrowly escaped death when he was hit by a stolen car and dragged over 100 feet.
After years of recovery and over 70 surgeries, Officer Brazeal has bravely chosen to return to the police force.
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"Since I was 18, I've always had a calling to serve. So it's just that I guess it's in my blood, you could say. I can't imagine doing anything else than wearing a uniform," he said during an appearance on "Fox & Friends."
At approximately 11:30am on June 13, 2020, Brazeal was critically injured while he was trying to deploy Stop Sticks and a tire-deflation device in an effort to stop the fleeing suspect.
In trying to avoid the Stop Sticks, the suspect swerved and struck Brazeal, then dragging him more than 100 feet along the West Loop 820.
"In this line of work, you always know it can be you, but you never really think it's going to be you"
When arriving on the scene, first responders initially thought Brazeal was dead, but miraculously, he survived the horrific accident.
Brazeal suffered a broken pelvis, a collapsed lung, brain injury, and a multitude of broken bones.
Over the next three years, Brazeal set off on a mission to return to the police force. After going through over 70 surgeries plus countless hours of physical therapy and rehab, Brazeal is preparing for his return to the frontline.
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"In this line of work, you always know it can be you, but you never really think it's going to be you. It's always somebody else," Brazeal explained to co-host Steve Doocy.
"You never think, yeah, it's going to be me, until it is. And then you wake up one day, you're just like, all right, and here we are, we got to deal with it."
He would be back on the force today, but said he had another "unexpected surgery" last Friday.
According to Brazeal, last-minute operations are "nothing new."
Officer Brazeal concluded by thanking all of those who readily supported him during the difficult journey including doctors, nurses and his fellow officers.
"My buddies out there on the side of the road, one of them had to stick his hands in my leg to stop me from bleeding out. My family and friends, just everybody that stood behind me, and most of all, God."
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