Las Vegas police officer Shay Mikalonis, who was shot during protests two weeks ago over the death of George Floyd, is paralyzed from the neck down, his family said over the weekend, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
The family said that Mikalonis, 29, is "unable to speak" but can apparently recognize loved ones in the room, adding that he might have to remain on a ventilator the rest of his life.
The family thanked the medical professionals for their care and those in the community who took part in a fundraiser organized by the Injured Police Officers Fund.
Mikalonis was shot in the face when he was helping with arrests June 1 after a demonstration turned unruly.
Police arrested Edgar Samaniego, who said he open fired in an attempt to break up a commotion after stepping out of his motel room. He was charged with two counts of discharging a gun in a prohibited area and assault with a deadly weapon.
Samaniego said he was unaware that the police were there and was trying to scare the demonstrators into leaving, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Mikaloni’s family also thanked the Vegas Golden Knight hockey club for giving Shay, who is a big fan, a jersey signed by the team, Fox8 reported.
“That jersey will go with Shay to the rehabilitation center, so he will always have a slice of home with him,” the family wrote.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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