Edward Zapata, injured in the line of duty, continues his recovery while reflecting on the harrowing incident caught on camera.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Community Response Unit Specialist Edward Zapata is still in the middle of treatment for an eye injury he suffered while at work, but says his recovery is moving in the right direction. He wears a medical eye patch over his left eye.
“I had a follow-up yesterday to evaluate the eye. We’ve got to follow up tomorrow,” Edward Zapata said. “Minimal pain, the treatment, the medication, it’s helping.”
Zapata was injured on April 28 while at a home on Juliet Lane in Fort Worth to take a report about a car burglary. Body camera footage captures the chaotic moments as the situation quickly escalates, showing Zapata falling to the ground after being hit by a second round of gunfire. The homeowner was standing next to him.
Despite being hurt, Zapata continued to focus on the woman’s safety.
“I got up. She dropped her wallet, so I picked that up as well. And then, that’s where I found her hiding, behind the trash can,” Edward Zapata said.
Video shows blood coming from Zapata’s left eye as he helps guide the homeowner out of danger, shielding her as they move to safety.
“The whole time she was shielded by me to get over that fence, and that’s all I was focused on,” Edward Zapata said.
Additional body camera footage shows responding officers exchanging gunfire with the suspect, identified as 39-year-old Angel Cantu. Investigators say Cantu initially escaped but was later taken into custody and is now facing a charge of aggravated assault on a public servant. Officers spent hours searching for him on the ground and by air using their police helicopter.
Zapata, who had only been on the job for two weeks at the time of the shooting, was greeted with cheers from coworkers as he was released from the hospital. He took a group photo with CRU team members, marking an emotional moment after the incident.
Community Response Unit specialists assist police officers by handling reports, directing traffic, and supporting various field operations. Just weeks prior, Zapata graduated from the academy.
Zapata says he is eager to return to work once he fully recovers.
“I like putting on a uniform. I like serving,” Edward Zapata said.