From PoliceOne.com
BOISE, Idaho — A paralyzed officer who thought he would never ride a motorcycle again after losing one of his legs is receiving a modified bike from a Harley Davidson dealership.
In November, Cpl. Kevin Holtry was shot five times while searching for a shooting suspect, the Idaho Statesman reported. The shooting resulted in the death of K-9 Jardo and injured Cpl. Chris Davis as well. Davis was released from the hospital in November after being treated for a leg wound.
“When I got shot...I knew I was paralyzed, one of the first things I thought of was, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm never going to ride again,’” Holtry told KBOI.
Along with a custom seat that allows Holtry to get on the bike from his wheelchair, the dealership designed the three-wheel motorcycle with all the controls built into the handles.
According to KBOI, the project will cost around $50,000. The dealership has been raising funds from the community to pay for the project, including through a GoFundMe page and an online auction that is still in the works. But local marketing manager Todd Godfrey told the news station that even if they don’t raise the funds, they’ll gift Holtry the bike at no cost to him.
"It is the least we can do for the sacrifice that Kevin made to the community and we're just excited to get him back on three wheels to get the wind back in his face," Godfrey said.
Holtry told KIVI that he’s grateful he’ll be able to feel a sense of freedom again.
“When I thought I lost that, it was devastating to me, but, now, I'm going to get it back.”
According to the Idaho Statesman, the suspect Marco Romero was killed in the November shootout.