Wounded Lafayette police officer talks about his treatment in his first interview

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana (KLFY)– August 5, 2023, almost a year ago now, is a day that police officer Hali Bradford will never forget for the rest of her life.

“I was shot and nearly killed in the line of duty,” Bradford said.

Speaking for the first time since the shooting, Officer Bradford recalled the injuries her body sustained after being hit by a single shot from a semi-automatic rifle.

“My colon and my colon are damaged. My left kidney is severely damaged. My sciatic nerve has caused my foot to be paralyzed. Right now it’s not permanent. There’s still hope, but there’s a chance I could be permanently paralyzed and my left hip is broken,” Bradford described.

Bradford said she has had four surgeries since then and thought all hope was lost when she saw no progress after 10 months. But when she found Dr. Kyle Daigle, who treats brain, spine and nerve problems in Lake Charles, things started to improve.

“The first week of June was when I started my week-long intensive treatment where I was there every day of the week. In that first week, I was able to achieve muscle contraction in my foot that I hadn’t felt in 10 months,” she said. “Currently, I go to Lake Charles about two to three days a week to receive this treatment, and I hope that over the next year, I can regain some mobility and muscle contraction in my foot. I hope that some of the damaged nerves will continue to grow back.”

Although the treatment is experimental and does not offer 100 percent safety, Bradford hopes to continue with it.

“Over the next year, the cost will be about $140,000. As police officers, we obviously don’t earn a high salary to be able to afford something like this,” Bradford said.

Given the outpouring of support and donations, only time will tell if Bradford will be able to once again don her uniform and do what she loves.

“My purpose in life and fulfillment has always been to be a police officer. I have loved serving my community since I was a kid. I always knew what I was going to do. I joined the military, went to college, and then joined the Lafayette Police Department, where I have worked nights in the Fourth Precinct ever since,” Bradford said. “My ultimate goal was to be back with my force and serve the great city of Lafayette.”

You can send donations here to help the family reach their $50,000 goal.

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