'Getting tossed to the side': Arizona officer shot in the line of duty in 2022 fired from job
YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. - An Arizona officer shot in the line of duty says he’s been fired by the tribe in charge of the police department he served with.
Preston Brogdon says he nearly died in 2022 after a suspect fired directly at him. He's still dealing with the medical implications of that injury.
The Brogdon family says they were hoping Preston would be able to medically retire, but in February, right at the two-year mark of his injury, he was met with something else.
Arizona officer shot in the line of duty in 2022 fired from job
An Arizona officer shot in the line of duty says he?s now fired by the tribe in charge of the police department he served with. Preston Brogdon says he nearly died in 2022 after a suspect fired directly at him. He's still dealing with the medical implications of that injury.
Feb. 9, 2022 is a night Preston will never forget. The former Yavapai Apache Nation Sergeant was shot in the line of duty near Camp Verde.
"I made the decision not to die. He wasn’t going to kill me," he said.
Body camera footage shows him screaming in pain as a fellow officer drags him into a squad car.
That shooting suspect was later found dead.
Crews airlifted Preston to a Phoenix hospital with life-threatening injuries.
"I lost seven quarts of blood. Shattered hip, shattered pelvis, shattered femur, severed my small intestine, caused me all kinds of nerve and muscle damage," he said.
The following months were filled with surgeries and extensive physical therapy.
Now, he and his family are facing a new challenge.
"They were like, ‘it’s been two years, we’re going to let you go. At least you have disability,’" he said.
Preston shared the letter with FOX 10. The letter alerted Preston of his termination, stating, in part, "The Yavapai-Apache Nation has terminated your employment due to not being able to return to full job duties as a police sergeant per your doctor’s return to work status reports."
Preston says, "Give me a Purple Heart, give me a Medal of Valor, then you just, get out of here? I don’t understand."
His wife, Bailey, of course, isn't enthused either.
"It’s one thing to soak up all the good media, and the community coming together and the pats on the back when he first got shot, but it’s becoming easier for them to forget. Just getting tossed to the side," she said.
As for the Brogdon family, they say they’re leaning on God for their next steps.
"We are trusting that he has it and doors are going to open for us," Bailey said.
FOX 10 reached out to several tribal members about this decision. A leader at the police department did not respond to voice messages either.
Shootings in New Castle County and North Philly; heat wave ahead this week
The FOX 29 news team has your latest top headlines from the 10 p.m. Sunday show.
Deadly shooting spans several blocks in North Philly; no arrests made
Nearly 100 shots were fired in an overnight shooting that left one man dead and another critically injured in North Philadelphia as police search for the suspected gunman.
Police search for suspect after 2 teenagers stabbed in New Castle County
New Castle County police are investigating an altercation between acquaintances that left two teenagers hospitalized in stable condition on Sunday afternoon.
Heat wave persists in Delaware Valley ahead of severe weather threat
High temperatures in the 90s and elevated humidity will continue across the Delaware Valley as the regional heat wave extends into midweek. A frontal boundary over Philadelphia is expected to trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds.
Anthropic AI agent created fake accounts to trick real people in security test, AISI says
An AI agent tried using fake accounts and social engineering to convince someone to approve malicious code without being told to do so.
Florida officer finds missing naked toddler wandering in road alone: Deputies
An off-duty airport police officer spotted a naked 2-year-old girl walking alone along a Deltona road in the early morning. He wrapped her in a towel and called 911.
Lake Mead hits record-low water level as Colorado River crisis deepens: Why it matters
Lake Mead has fallen to its lowest water level since it was filled nearly 90 years ago, underscoring the growing strain on the Colorado River system.
Chicago company recalls corned beef, pastrami sold nationwide
A Chicago-based company has recalled more than one-and-a-half tons of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef over Listeria fears, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.
Emergency return: 200 passengers evacuate Delta flight in Atlanta
An Orlando-bound Delta Air Lines flight was forced to turn back to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Saturday morning after fumes were reported on the flight deck.
NORAD F-16s intercept two aircraft near Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said F-16 fighter jets intercepted two general aviation aircraft over Bedminster, New Jersey.