Fort Worth civilian police employee out of hospital after being shot on duty
The Fort Worth civilian police employee who last week was injured in the line of duty was released from the hospital Friday afternoon, officials said on social media.
Civilian Response Unit Specialist Edward Zapata, a 30-year-veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, was shot in the eye last Tuesday while responding to a burglary call in north Fort Worth, the Star-Telegram previously reported.
Fort Worth police chief Eddie Garcia, along with officers, city officials and other members of the Civilian Response Unit, greeted Zapata upon his release from John Peter Smith hospital.
“[The Civilian Response Unit] means the world to the department,” Garcia said Friday. “They’re our partners, they’re our brothers and sisters … we need to make sure that they feel supported.”
Zapata was escorted back to his home by a police motorcade, the video shows.
The suspect in the shooting, 39-year-old Angel Cantu, was arrested Tuesday after an hourslong manhunt near Basswood Boulevard and North Riverside Drive, the Star-Telegram previously reported. He faces three charges of aggravated assault on a public servant, and is being held in the Tarrant County Jail.
