Every day, thousands of law enforcement officers across the country leave the comfort of their home and their family to put their lives on the line for others. All to keep us safe. It’s a challenging job that requires a lot of commitment and sacrifice. State troopers are the first line of defense against crime and they deserve all the support we can offer.
An injured officer
When a Texas state trooper was injured in the line of duty, his family and colleagues came together to support him on the road to recovery
Trooper Tovar has been released from the hospital. He still faces many challenges in the days ahead, but he will not be alone; he has the support of a loving family and his brothers and sisters in law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/qfPpw8db39
— Texas DPS (@TxDPS) April 14, 2021
Juan Rojas, a Texas state trooper was shot while chasing a murder suspect in Bryan. According to the Madisonville Texas Highway Patrol office, Juan was shot by Larry Bollin, who killed one person and injured six others during a shootout at the Bryan cabinet plant.
Scary situation
He was rushed to the St. Joseph’s Health Center in Bryan and then flown to Austin for treatment. His condition was serious but stable.
Improvements over time
His condition was stabilized and he left the hospital the following week.
The suspect, whose motive remains unclear, was taken into custody and charged with murder. The victims were his coworkers at the cabinet plant, four of whom were in critical condition in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
“(It was) just a regular day, and you can start hearing… gunshots, slamming, running, people falling, screaming — I fell myself. My whole leg went in the mud,” one employee said.
Fortunately, Tovar was able to make a quick recovery, thanks to the care of the medical staff at Bryan Health Center and Austin hospital where underwent treatment.
Honoring their own
A group of trainees honored their wounded colleague with a salute.
Tovar was in for a big surprise as he left the helicopter and arrived at Austin for his medical treatment. He was greeted by Class A-2021 Trooper Trainees who saluted him for his bravery. The touching image of Juan’s hero welcome was posted on the Texas DPS Facebook page and it became an instant hit, garnering over a thousand likes!
An unexpected surprise
When Tovar was unable to attend his son’s baseball game, his colleagues decided to step in a show of love and support
His condition prevented Juan from attending his son’s baseball game last week. Motivated by their love and respect for their injured colleague, a group of state troops went to his son’s baseball game and posted heartwarming photos of the event on their Twitter. The images show troopers lined up along the fence next to the message ‘Pray for Tovar’ made of disposable cups embedded in a chain-link fence.
Likewise, hundreds of commenters on Facebook offered their support to Tovar.
“Also praying for fast recovery and thank all the law enforcement there supporting his son, you guys are great,” Wanda wrote.
“Prayers to Trooper Tovar! What a great way to honor him snd his son from his trooper family!!! Awesome!” another user commented.
“Just another reason I have so much respect for our law enforcement officers.”
Slowly but surely improving
Thanks to the support he’s getting, Tovar is making a speedy recovery.
It’s heartwarming to see the whole community come together in a touching show of support for an injured trooper. A community is only as strong as its individuals and their support for each other in times of crisis.
We applaud the efforts of Tovar and other officers who put their lives on the line every day in order to make us safer. Thank you for your tremendous sacrifice to keep us safe!
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