As published by the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) on Thursday, November 6th, President Donald Trump proudly gives Officer Brendon Gallagher his thumbs up of approval.
The Suffolk County police officer’s path from highway patrol to posting for a photo with the nation’s Commander in Chief began in early January, when speeding driver Cody Fisher, 29 — sentenced to ten years in prison last month for Assault on a Police Officer and related charges stemming from impaired driving — led Gallagher on a high-velocity pursuit.
The chase violently culminated in Gallagher’s cruiser overturning. His abdominal wall was torn open, and he underwent several surgeries at Stony Brook Hospital to survive the critical injuries.
“He’s a young healthy guy, obviously we’ll get him through this,” Dr. Voss of Stony Brook Hospital told the South Shore Press upon Gallagher’s release weeks later. “But as you can imagine, from the disability perspective, it’s a very severe injury. So we’re praying that everything stays together.”
As Suffolk prosecutors pursued justice against Fisher and examined the legal loopholes that allowed a repeat offender back on the roads, Gallagher, sure enough, made remarkable strides in his recovery.
“This case went beyond a reckless flight,” Suffolk DA Ray Tierney said following Fisher’s sentencing. “The fact that this officer survived is nothing short of a miracle.”
Despite the grim odds he once faced, and having previously survived a stabbing incident in Medford just two years earlier as well, spirits were nothing but smile-high when he met the pro-police world leader.
“Thank you to Donald J. Trump for taking the time to meet hero SCPD Officer Brendon Gallagher,” the Suffolk County PBA wrote in its post. “Even with the most demanding job in the world President Trump is never too busy to make time for the men and women in blue.”