Shot Trooper Michael Potts receives Purple Heart award
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A North Carolina State Trooper who nearly lost his life in the line of duty was given a high honor Tuesday.
On February 18, 2013, Mikel Edward Brady II shot Trooper Michael Potts during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 70 near Interstate 85. He was hit four times and suffered wounds to each hand, his right shoulder, and the right side of his face, but still managed to radio for help.
In January, Brady was sentenced to 20 years in North Carolina prison as part of a plea deal.
Nearly a year after the incident, Trooper Potts returned to work. And on Tuesday, he got a standing ovation as he received a Purple Heart award for the injuries he sustained in the line of duty.
Click here to read about Trooper Pott's return
He said after the shooting, he thought about quitting.
"It was a roller coaster ride there for a while for about six months," Potts said. "I didn't know if I could do this job anymore. Once the question was presented to me of where I stood with everything, I couldn't look at myself in the mirror and say I was ready to leave."
Trooper Potts now works at the Highway Patrol Training Center.
He will now get to wear a Purple Heart pin on his uniform, and says he will keep the actual award at home in a safe place.
