'I was going to go home': Kansas officer opens up for the first time since being shot
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - A Kansas police officer shot in the line of duty this month is preparing to leave the hospital.
"It makes me look at things a lot differently, and the way I am going to handle stuff is a lot different when I get dispatched to a call," said Sgt. Cory Ryan.
Ryan, who is in much better shape than last week, still has the scars and evidence of being shot.
"I still have a bullet in the back of my head," said Ryan. "I just can not give up. If you give up, you are not going to get anywhere."
He is thankful to be next to his wife, Cami, who has rarely left his side during his nearly two weeks in the hospital.
"I told her I was sorry, and I loved her and that was the last thing I remember," Ryan said.
Ryan is recovering now from jaw surgery.
"The bad part about it is I can not open my mouth very far, but I will get through it," he said.
Ryan will be heading home soon to see his kids for the first time since being shot.
"It is going to mean a lot to me," Ryan said. "I think it is going to help me heal faster."
He will be taking with him a whole new perspective on life as an officer, appreciating the days in uniform but also the importance of being able to take it off when he gets home.
"Well, my mind is kind of wandering. I am ready to get back to work honestly, but I know it is going to be awhile. When we put on this uniform, it does not mean we are going to come home at the end of the day and I was determined that I was going to go home," Ryan said.