ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando police officer who was shot in the face earlier this week remains in a coma at Orlando Regional Medical Center, doctors said.
Officer Kevin Valencia's surgeon said during a press conference Wednesday that Valencia has a long road to recovery.
Kevin Valencia’s wife, Meghan Valencia, gave an emotional and tearful plea, asking the community for prayers, but her first words were about the four children her husband was trying to save.
“I’m so sorry to those families because I am a mom and I can’t even imagine what they are going through,” she said.
“I need my husband. My kids need a daddy and this community needs a real hero,” she said while sitting among her husband’s brothers and sisters in blue.
Meghan Valencia said all her husband and the officers wanted was to get the children to safety.
Officer Kevin Valencia’s wife, Meghan, talks about her husband, the love of her life, who is fighting for his life. https://t.co/GfxTWL7pgt pic.twitter.com/GuLvmSjJtx
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 13, 2018
“He was my first love," Meghan Valencia said. "Kevin and I were each other’s first boyfriend and girlfriend when we were 12. So, you can imagine that this person is literally everything to me."
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Doctors said Valencia has shown signs of responsiveness.
He was shot late Sunday night after responding to a domestic violence call at the Westbrook Apartments.
Officer Kevin Valencia’s wife, Meghan, talks about her husband, the love of her life, who is fighting for his life. FOP President Shawn Dunlap talks about fundraising efforts. To donate: https://t.co/GfxTWL7pgt pic.twitter.com/nC9YrqmO1T
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 13, 2018
He and others on his squad were there because Gary Lindsey’s girlfriend called police and reported that she was being battered.
The officers went to the door and tried to make contact with Lindsey, but Lindsey shot Valencia through the door.
Meghan Valencia then got the visit she never wanted to get.
OPD Officer Talmon Hall talks about his squad mate, Officer Kevin Valencia, who was shot and critically injured Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/ugag35XeNo
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 13, 2018
“In the middle of the night, officers came to my house and took me here and told me that my husband had been shot trying to save some kids,” she said. “My husband was the strong one. I am not.”
OPD officer's wife speaks about her husband6/27 UPDATE: Officer Valencia's wife says he is "coming back to her" and is responsive now! She says he's squeezing hands and giving thumbs up, but remains in a coma. She says he wasn't supposed to live and this interaction is a miracle! Officer Valencia is now moving to a rehab center in Georgia and his squad is going back on the streets for the first time without him tonight. Continued prayers for Officer Valencia, his family, and his squad as they get back to work! --- 6/20 UPDATE: Good news! We’ve learned Officer Valencia is breathing on his own now! --- UPDATE: Many people have asked me if there's any update with Officer Valencia's condition. I'm sorry to report his wife says he remains in critical condition and in a coma. Here's a link to the gofundme page for anyone who would like to donate. https://www.gofundme.com/ofc-kevin-valencia-wounded-hero --- This is one of the most gut-wrenching things I've ever watched. And wow, what an incredibly brave woman. My heart and prayers go out to her. She is the wife of the Orlando Police officer who was shot in the head trying to save four children who were murdered. He is still fighting for his life, in critical condition, and in a coma.
Posted by Lauren Seabrook WFTV on Wednesday, June 13, 2018
The shooting prompted an hourslong standoff with Lindsey, who, at some point during the negotiations, killed four children in the home and then himself.
Read: ‘He’s extremely strong’: Orlando officer who was shot remains critical
Orlando Police Chief John Mina gave an update on the investigation, saying that only one of the five guns in the home was used--a .380 handgun that Lindsey stole from his father--had been used.
OPD @ChiefJohnMina, @orlandohealth surgeons, family members and OPD squad members brief the media on Officer Kevin Valencia, who was shot and critically injured Sunday night. pic.twitter.com/8P5RWnp7Oc
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 13, 2018
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