KUSA — Seventeen weeks after he was wounded in a shooting that claimed the life of one of his fellow deputies, Jeff Pelle is back to work at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
"It's a huge milestone," his father, Boulder County Sheriff Jeff Pelle, said.
A bullet missed Jeff Pelle's heart by nearly an inch after he was the victim of an ambush-style attack by a mentally ill man inside a Highlands Ranch apartment on New Year’s Eve, his father told 9NEWS.
Pelle and three other officers were wounded in the shooting and rushed to the hospital. Deputy Zack Parrish did not survive.
The three other law enforcement officers who were hurt were released from the hospital a few days after the shooting. Jeff Pelle suffered a more severe gunshot wound, and was finally discharged from the hospital on Jan. 19.
"He was excited about going back to work today," Joe Belle said. "He's in detectives for the time being until he's ready to return to the street."
In the months since the attack, he’s gotten messages of well wishes from people across the country – including his hero Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who called his recovery “a setup for an even bigger comeback.”
Monday was just the beginning of that even bigger comeback.
