Dallas Morning News
DALLAS — An aching pain that travels down Senior Cpl. Jeremy Borchardt’s left leg serves as a constant reminder of the bullet that slammed into it, severing his femoral artery, during a standoff outside a motel room in August 2006.
Six months later, Borchardt cradled mortally wounded Senior Cpl. Mark Nix in the back of a squad car as he and other officers rushed Nix to the hospital.
For his heroism, the 10-year-veteran received the Police Award from the Texas chapter of the Theodore Roosevelt Association on Tuesday. The organization gives the award annually to a Dallas police officer who has overcome tremendous adversity to return to duty.
“I’ve been impressed by Jeremy Borchardt,” Police Chief David Kunkle said. “I saw the nature of the injuries and the pain he was in the night he was shot. He showed courage and resilience as he fought to recover and come back to full duty as a police officer.”
Borchardt, 32, is now assigned to the Police Department’s tactical team.
“It’s a great honor,” Borchardt said. “It’s very humbling to get this award.”
In 2006, Borchardt was working the overnight shift at northwest patrol when he and other officers were summoned to a disturbance at a hotel on Mockingbird Lane in the Stemmons Corridor. A woman was being held hostage inside the room.
The suspect fired a weapon, and the bullet traveled through a wall and struck Borchardt. He suffered muscle loss and severe nerve damage that remains to this day.
“I’ve got an ache in my leg all the way down to my toes, but it’s manageable,” he said.
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