By Ashley Silver
Police1
CHAMBLEE, Ga. — An officer who was shot in the head while conducting a traffic stop last week has now spoken out about the incident, detailing the nearly life-ending shot that entered the front part of his skull and exited out the back of it.
11 Alive News spoke with Chamblee Police Department Lt. Collar, who suffered a small skull fracture and two minor bleeds on the brain: “I probably won’t be here today if it was a half-inch lower or a different angle, this could have been a different story,” Collar told 11 Alive.
Officers attempted to pull over a stolen car that was allegedly connected to a robbery after the vehicle was identified by a license plate reader. The driver of the car attempted to flee before crashing the vehicle and taking off on foot. The driver turned and opened fire on the officers, with one bullet flying through the windshield of Collar’s cruiser.
“At the end of the traffic stop, some rounds were fired in my direction, one went through the windshield and grazed the top of my head, entered the front part of my skull and exited the back of it,” Collar described to the news outlet.
Despite the shooting, Collar says he’s ready to hit the streets again.
“If I could go back to work today, I would be ready to go right now if I could, but when you start thinking about how close it was and that it could have been lights out, that would have been it,” he said.
Police arrested both the driver and a passenger who took part in the shooting. The driver, Oscar Arreola, was charged with aggravated assault for shooting Collar.
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