Dozens of law enforcement officers and community members lined up to greet an injured Wichita Police officer as he returned home Wednesday on a private flight at a facility near Wichita's Eisenhower National Airport.
Officer Brian Arterburn was hurt in the line of duty and has been receiving treatment out of state for the past ten months.
Arterburn was trying to stop a man from driving away during an investigation into a stolen vehicle outside a home on South Topeka in February. He was laying down tire spikes when the suspect accelerated and ran over Arterburn. The officer was critically injured in his abdomen, chest and head.
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay says Arterburn’s return to Wichita is a recovery milestone.
"He’s had a long, tough road, and he’s a very brave and strong man," Ramsay says. "We are glad that his recovery is continuing to the point where he can come home."
Arterburn spent months at medical facilities in Colorado and Texas for recovery and rehabilitation.
He has worked for the Wichita Police Department for 25 years.
Wichita Police Spokesman Charley Davidson says Arterburn and the department have received tremendous support from the community and law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
"We can ask again for continued thoughts and prayers as he adjusts now to being back home and continues his recovery," Davidson says. "I know that Officer Arterburn and his family are very ecstatic about being home, and the Wichita Police Department is very ecstatic about him being home as well."
The suspect in the incident, Justin Terrazas, was charged with attempted first-degree murder and theft.
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