DADE COUNTY, Ga. – A Dade County sheriff’s deputy who lost his leg in the line of duty is letting his community know he will continue to serve them for years to come.
On Aug. 7, Major Tommy Bradford started the day like he did every other when he got the call to aid in the police chase. He had every intention of ending that pursuit when he set out a spike strip. But what happened next could have easily killed both himself and the suspect.
“I stepped out of my truck, and in an instant, life as I knew it suddenly changed,” Bradford wrote in an emotional Facebook post.
A truck traveling at 90 mph slammed into Bradford and didn't stop until it came crashing into the town square in Trenton, Georgia.
Bradford was flown to Erlanger where he underwent several surgeries. Doctors were able to save him - but he lost his leg in the process.
“I remember waking from the first surgery, looking at my wife, and telling her, ‘This is it. I am retiring from law enforcement',” he wrote.
But that’s not where Bradford’s story ends.
He said thanks to the outpouring support from the community, Bradford knew he couldn’t leave the force saying, “it was not my time to quit.”
“I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, and it is how we respond that makes us who we are,” he wrote. “God does not give us more than we can handle, and I know deep down in my heart, that God has a plan for my family through this whole situation.”
Now that he is out of the hospital and recovering, Bradford will continue to serve Dade County. Read his full post below.
