Woman Says Officer Injured In Shootout Saved Her Life
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BURLESON (CBSDFW.COM) - A Fort Worth woman says Officer Matt Pearce responded to a call at her home, only two weeks before a gunfight sent him to the hospital.
"Eleine" only met Pearce once, but says he and other responding officers are the reason she's alive.
"He made sure I was okay," said the woman who wanted to remain anonymous because she is a survivor of domestic violence.
She explained she was forced to call police when her boyfriend's son beat her up and threatened his father in late February.
"He took off behind the house, jumped the fence and ran into the creek behind the house and tried to hide in there. Pearce ran after him," said Eleine.
The call came in at a home about a mile away from where officer Pearce would chase a wanted felon and his son, just two weeks later. Pearce was shot seven times in the gunfight with the suspects.
Now as officer Pearce remains in the hospital, Eleine continues to follow his progress closely.
"My heart dropped, it sunk," she described feeling the day she found out about the shootout.
Officer Pearce is still not in the clear. His wife explained in a recent statement released through the Fort Worth Police Department that he had "suffered a pretty big setback" when his abdominal incision opened up during a coughing fit.
"I pray for him every day. His whole family is in my prayers," said Eleine.
On Friday night, the family shared another update through a GoFundMe page set up under Officer Pearce's name.
"Just like every other day, today has had its ups and downs. Matt continues to make great progress with the vent weaning. I'm so happy. We are so ready to have his breathing tube out and hear his voice again," the update read.
It went on to say the officer has multiple blood clots in his legs and that the majority of his incisions are healing well.
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