Kansas officer who was shot in the line of duty released from hospital and headed to rehab

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNT) – A Wichita police officer who was critically injured in a shootout in the line of duty on June 19 was released from the hospital and headed to a local rehab facility Monday.

On June 19, two WPD officers were checking on the welfare of a woman and her daughter in 500 block of W. Carlyle when the shooting began. “One officer was shot multiple times, he’s been taken to an area hospital. He’s in critical condition,” Captain Wendell Nicholson, Wichita Police Department South Bureau commander, said at the time. “As officers arrived, they continued to take fire from the suspect. The suspect was shot where he died on the scene after being worked on by EMS,” said Nicholson.

The suspect was later identified as the woman’s boyfriend, 28-year-old Tyler Hodge, he was hiding in a shed in the backyard with a rifle.

On Monday afternoon, WPD Chief Gordon Ramsay shared the following message on Facebook:

"It's been a whirlwind of emotions today, but here's some good news to share. This morning we had a send-off for our officer who was shot last month in the line of duty. Today he was released from the hospital and transferred to a rehab facility! The outpouring of community support for this hero has been overwhelming, and we're very thankful for the progress he's made in his recovery so far."

Chief Ramsay also shared the following message via Twitter:

"Today our officer who was shot in the line of duty last month was released from the hospital and transferred to a rehab facility. The outpouring of community support for this hero has been overwhelming, and we're very thankful for the progress he's made in his recovery so far."