Phoenix officer who was shot multiple times hits another milestone in recovery

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — The Phoenix Police officer who was shot multiple times nearly eight months ago has made it to another landmark in his recovery. The department said on Thursday, a tracheostomy tube was removed from Officer Tyler Moldovan. “This is something that was predicted to happen way down the road or potentially never,” the department said in a tweet. The removal also comes more than two months after the 22-year-old returned home to the Valley from a rehab facility. A photo from Phoenix police shows Moldovan was all smiles with his wife holding the tube.

In December 2021, Moldovan was shot eight times, including once in the head, while responding to a call in the area of 15th Avenue and Camelback Road about someone who had been driving erratically. Moldovan was given little chance to live but he has shown miraculous progress. He spent weeks on life support before going to a rehabilitation center in January. In March, he could squeeze and lift his hand, lift up weighted bean bags, throw a ball and ride a stationary bike. He still has limited mobility and Thursday’s picture shows him in a wheelchair. But police said his recovery is “nothing short of a miracle.” “We’re beyond proud of the leaps he’s been able to make. Keep fighting, Tyler,” the department said.

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