On December 21, 2022, the National Police Association published a piece about a rookie Phoenix policeman who had been shot eight times and miraculously survived. The initial shooting occurred during a midnight shift in December 2021.
Among the abundant news coverage of this horrific incident, here is one in which then-Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams addressed the press, with emotion-filled words heralding hope:
Along with his initial swearing-in photograph, in which he dons a pristine police uniform, the Phoenix Police Department posted the following excerpt in their press release announcing the downing of Officer Tyler Moldovan:
“Just after 2:00 a.m., officers received multiple calls about vehicles driving erratically in the area of 19th Avenue and Camelback Road. Officers located a car matching the description of one of the vehicles parked at an apartment complex in the area of 15th Avenue and Camelback Road. There was no one in the car. As officers searched the surrounding area, Officer Moldovan found 24-year-old Essa Williams hiding behind a short wall of an apartment patio. Officer Moldavan began giving commands to Williams, who then pulled out a gun and began shooting. Officer Moldovan was struck by multiple bullets.”
(Photo courtesy of the Phoenix Police Department.)
It is most apparent that prayers were answered.
In the law enforcement legacy of Officer Tyler Moldovan, we remain in awe of his resiliency and desire to return to a police-blue uniform anchored by a shiny silver justice badge. Getting there, though, requires laborious hours throughout many days pushing through intense physical therapy.
Speaking from experience, relearning human constructs such as walking, speaking, eating, toileting, and other things we may take for granted…is arduous. Physical therapists (PT) are the go-to pros positioned to help recoup these attributes by reconditioning the human body.
The initially firm, stern nature of PTs are aspects I had difficulty contending with; I assume Officer Moldovan may have experienced this sort of persona. Like me, he seems to have embraced the physical therapy echoes of putting in the work, unrelentingly. After the feats of physicality are endured, dividends show up.
With that, several uplifting revelations have been offered by the Moldovan family and the Phoenix Police command staff, much of which is populated on the personal journey page Pray for Tyler #11118.
Through PT efforts, Officer Moldovan has gotten out and about a bit…
He’s managed a flight to a neuro-rehab facility in Colorado. He attended an auto auction. In a wheelchair, he maneuvered to some snow outside the Craig Hospital rehab facility.
(Photo courtesy of Pray for Tyler #11118.)
Chelsea Moldovan, Tyler’s loving and supportive wife (pictured with him above), wrote the following update last week:
“This month brings new hope and renewed faith toward the plans the Lord has for us. A year ago, things looked much different. But it was a time of miracles, of mountains moving and a place of change to experience the Lord like we never have before. We were grateful to be in actual clothes and sitting upright. But sitting upright was therapy itself, barely able to tolerate two continuous hours without being exhausted or in some sort of pain. But because of God, this year, we are watching him take steps toward walking again. Lord, we praise Your Holy Name!”
What does that look like?
With the aid of a physical therapist and the use of a walker, Officer Moldovan is now taking tiny steps. In context, each gait is a huge leap.
(Photo courtesy of Pray for Tyler #11118.)
Responding to the latest milestones achieved by Officer Moldovan, I found a blurb from the Phoenix Police staff: we are “with you every step of the way.” Phoenix Police Commander Brian Issit expounded on that in heartfelt footage released right after the inexplicable shooting of one of his officers.
Chelsea Moldovan explained that Tyler’s “hips have become the weakest part of his body due to the amount of time seated or laying. So, there’s a huge emphasis on stretching and strengthening the hips as they aid in trunk and core control, walking, lateral balance, and movement.”
(Photo courtesy of Pray for Tyler #11118.)
One of the most difficult things experienced in almost a half-year of physical therapy was my PT’s push to climb steps (as alluded to above). I can attest it is a pushy task and that I thought she enjoyed torturous behaviors. Turns out, my PT was the brightest light in my darkest corner at the time.
With that, Tyler seems to have gotten it down pat after scaling his legs up, planting each one right where it needs to be, thanks to a PT who knows his goals of returning to law enforcement duties. (Notice the exhale and flash of a smile when he succeeded in his objectives.)
After meeting and chatting with the Moldovan’s at the onset of Tyler’s police career, Angela Harrell of The 100 Club of Arizona offered a mind-grabbing line of words: “They go into the job knowing they might have to sacrifice their lives but they never plan to do so.”
That’s a stark statement that, sadly, we realize more nowadays.
From a young man proudly walking across the stage to receive a Phoenix Police badge, to bravely confronting the perils of police work, to being shot and “clinging to hope” via life support machinery, to a whirlwind of taxing physical therapy…we have a hero in the making. Remaking seems more apt, huh?
(Photo courtesy of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association.)
The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association had a poignant write-up about the Moldovans, two lines from which we chose to close:
Chelsea Moldovan: “You can find peace, comfort, love, and hope, even if it’s far away.”
Tyler Moldovan: “Don’t stop fighting.”
Tyler Moldovan Strong…there is no doubt!
This article originally appeared at the National Police Association.
