The Baton Rouge Police Department released a statement on their Facebook page that reads as follows: “BRPD Cpl. Shane Totty, 31, succumbed from his traffic crash injuries late this afternoon at a local hospital. Please continue to keep the Totty family and our department in your prayers.”
31-year-old Cpl. Totty returned to work a few months ago, having been shot in the face in February 2018 whilst responding to a call.
“Bright future”
Totty experienced temporary loss of sight in one eye on that occasion, as well as other injuries, but showed incredible strength of character in making a full recovery.
“He’s a fighter,” BRPD Chief Murphy Paul said to Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge.
“He was a really bright young man. He had a bright future with the police department.”
Meanwhile, Totty’s former supervisor Captain Don Kelly described the accident as heartbreaking.
“Life was good for him. He had survived this near-death experience and everything was positive and going his way,” Kelly said. “How tragic that everything could be taken away in the blink of an eye. We’re all hurting.”
Rest in peace, Cpl. Kelly! We will never forget your bravery.
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