By Keith Upchurch
The Durham Herald-Sun
DURHAM, N.C. — The Durham police officer who nearly died after being shot last summer in the line of duty has been cleared to return to field duty, and expects to be back in the saddle soon.
The officer, Damon Youmans, has been doing desk work at police headquarters for the past several months, but he’s about to shift gears.
“I’m doing good,” Youmans said in a recent interview. “I anticipate being back to work real shortly, maybe at the end of the month or early February at the latest. So I’m looking forward to that.”
Youmans, 31, a former officer with the New York City Police Department, was still in training July 2 when he was shot in the abdomen and badly wounded as he and fellow officers responded to a call about gunfire at the South Square Townhomes apartment complex on Shannon Road.
Thomas Rashawn Monroe was sentenced last month after pleading guilty to assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and common law obstruction of justice in the shooting. The judge sentenced him to 29 to 44 months and suspended it, imposing six months of active jail time and probation.
Youmans said he’s undergone physical therapy and more recently been in a program called Job Ready Services, which has helped him recover.
“It’s a combination of different exercises,” he said. “They take your injury, and they set up a total body workout.”
Youmans, who received a Purple Heart for his courage at a ceremony last week, said he’s “healing pretty good.”
“I’m not going to say I’m 100 percent back, but I feel I’m close to it.”
He said he’ll resume his training, which was cut short by the shooting. “And hopefully, I’ll finish that in another few months, and then I’ll be riding [the patrol car] by myself.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I don’t really know what that first night’s going to be like, but I’m sure I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
Copyright 2010 The Durham Herald