KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knox County sheriff’s deputy critically injured during a call has shared his first public statement since the incident, thanking supporters and describing the events leading up to his hospitalization, WBIR reported.
Deputy Dalton Swanger was injured on June 22 while responding to a report of gunfire. According to the sheriff’s office, Swanger was struck in the head by a large object, believed to be a rock or brick, while searching for a suspect in a wooded area. His injury was broadcast on “On Patrol: Live.”
Swanger spent several days in the hospital and was placed in a medically induced coma following the attack. In a written statement shared on July 11, he expressed gratitude to medical staff, fellow deputies, family and the public.
“Your prayers carried me through some of the darkest moments of my life,” Swanger wrote, noting the support he received from viewers of “On Patrol: Live,” strangers who sent letters and organizers of fundraisers.
He also recounted the moment he was injured, saying the area was dark and he had turned off his flashlight to avoid revealing his position. As officers approached the suspect, Swanger said objects began landing around them.
“The next thing I remember was an overwhelming pain in my head…” he said. “I couldn’t move.”
Swanger said he later learned he suffered a depressed skull fracture, a cerebral contusion, disc injuries in his neck and an intracranial contusion. He also experienced a grand mal seizure during transport, which caused temporary oxygen deprivation.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Swanger said he plans to return to duty.
“I’m blessed and proud to call myself a Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy, and as long as God allows me to do this job, I will continue to do it with everything I have,” he wrote.
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