WAR HERO WHO LOST BOTH LEGS TO IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE BECOMES COP

Double amputee who served as a Marine in Afghanistan to become New York cop

By Chris Perez

New York Post
March 23, 2017

A Marine war veteran who lost both of his legs in Afghanistan will fulfill a lifelong dream Friday when he graduates from the Suffolk County Police Academy — and becomes one of the nation’s first double amputees to serve as a fully active cop.

“I’m just really eager and excited to prove myself to my colleagues in my new job, my new career, that I’m capable of doing the job just as well as somebody with both legs,” Matias Ferreira told Newsday. “I don’t think the prosthetics hinder me in any way.”

The 28-year-old married father of one is set to become a police officer on Friday following a 29-week training program that included sit-ups, push-ups and a mile-and-a-half run — all of which he completed, no problem.

“A lot of guys are like, ‘What happens if one of your legs break?’ I’m sorry to say, but if I break my leg, I go in the trunk, I put on a new one,” Ferreira said. “If you break your leg, you’re out for a couple months, my friend.”

The Marine machine-gunner managed to run the department’s required mile-and-a-half in about 11 minutes — which is a minute and 29 seconds less than the demands for his age category.

“This is someone who served our nation, paid a significant sacrifice, and is now able to overcome adversity in a tremendous way,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini told Newsday. “He’s done a terrific job as a recruit in the academy, both physically, academically and in his leadership to the other recruits, and he’s going to make a fine officer.”

In 2011, Ferreira was forced to have both of his legs amputated below the knee after he accidentally stepped on a 30-pound improvised explosive device. He will be one of the only cops in the country to have ever had the procedure done, according to Newsday.

There was at least one officer in the Arizona State Police who was a double amputee, the newspaper reports.

During Ferreira’s training, officials said he practiced taking down aggressive suspects wearing a protective suit. He only fell once — and was able to hop right back up immediately.

“If you have somebody coming at you and attacking you, we didn’t know how that was going to end up, we didn’t know if he would fall and not be able to get back up, so

‘For us it was an important moment,” said Lt. Steven Rohde, commanding officer of the academy’s recruit training section.

“Kind of an exclamation point on, ‘This guy’s the real deal. I wouldn’t want to fight him!’”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Matias Ferreira is a true hero in every sense of the word, and not some overblown sports star like O.J. Simpson or Brucella Jenner.