Injured Officer Lopez Rehabbing, Looking Forward To Fatherhood
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Police Sgt. Tony Lopez Jr. was shot six times during a traffic stop Dec. 8, 2015. He nearly died. But slowly he is recovering, spending hours in physical therapy.
Lopez is in constant pain, having already endured three surgeries.
"I was shot twice in my left leg, once in my right leg, twice in my right arm and once in my chest," he told CBS4.
There are still bullets in his legs, still painful wounds and scars throughout his body.
"A lot of my wounds aren't closed yet and the nerves in my left leg still haven't come back," he said.
He has no feeling in one arm, and can only sit up for brief periods without being in excruciating pain.
Initially, after the shooting, he had nightmares.
"Every time I went to bed I would see somebody with a gun shooting at me," he said.
His wife, Kristen, continues to be plagued by them.
"I do every single night have night terrors," she said.
Still, she knew her husband was strong and never allowed herself to think he might die.
"As well as I know him I thought there'd never be a chance he wouldn't survive."
But doctors weren't so certain. He'd lost all his blood, and they say he was as close to death as anyone could get.
What Tony and his wife are focusing on these days is the baby boy they're expecting in May. He will be named Tony Lopez III.
The baby was Lopez's first thought after being shot.
"I thought 'I hope I am going to be okay,'" he said.
The baby was the first question he wrote down when he woke up from surgery and couldn't talk.
"How's baby?" the note to his wife said.
Sgt. Lopez wants to return to work as a street cop.
"I think it's important to be in uniform on the street and it's important to get that first traffic stop out of the way," he said.
He has months and months of physical therapy ahead of him. He is working hard to be the officer he once was, and the dad he always hoped to be.
"My first goal was to walk my baby out of the hospital but that's not going to happen now I don't think," said Lopez, who is using crutches to get around.
Still, Tony Lopez Jr. survived when many, if not most, didn't think he would.
He's thankful he has a future to look forward to.
"Now we're going to have a real family. I can't wait for that."
Suzanne McCarroll is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. Her stories can regularly be seen on CBS4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @SuzanneCBS4.