Denver Police Officer Robert Sandoval honored for service decades after being shot in the head
On Oct. 14 1969, a rookie Denver police officer took a call that would change his life forever.
Robert Sandoval's family remembers the night they got the call, they were celebrating Michelle Santistevan's first birthday, in Trinidad where they were from.
"Got in the car and headed to Denver because this is where he was at."
Sandoval, her uncle, was investigating a possible burglary in progress when he was shot by a frightened homeowner.
"He didn't expect anyone to be at the back door, so he just fired a shot through the door and hit him right directly in the head," she said.
While paralyzed entirely on his left side, and lucky to be alive, Sandoval had hoped to one day return to the force.
Santistevan, who helped care for her uncle following the accident, says that never happened but that her uncle would learn to walk and talk again and live as independently as possible.
"He had 51 years of life," she said.
Sandoval died in 2020 and this year, his name was added to the fallen police memorial, an honor typically reserved for those killed in the line of duty.
"They had to go through all kinds of channels to basically his doctors to agree he passed away due to the shooting," she said.
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Michael Hesse with the Denver Police Museum is taking that recognition one step further.
"This was a decision we made to bring the memorial to the public," Hesse said.
On the street where Sandoval took his last call, there will forever be a reminder of his sacrifice for all to see.
"I think it's a great honor they are giving him now. His whole goal in life was to go out and help people," Santistevan said.