Injured Fort Worth Officer Credits God and Protective Vest for Saving His Life

A Fort Worth police officer who was shot Friday night credited God and his bulletproof vest for saving his life.

Officer Ray Azucena, a rookie who just graduated from the academy in July, was honored at Southwest Christian School.

He spoke publicly for the first time about the shooting that injured him and his training officer.

"That bullet hit me right in the chest, right on the heart,” he said. “I have a big old bruise right here, but you know, by the grace of God, I'm here and alive."

Azucena and Officer Xavier Serrano responded to a report of a suicide when bullets started flying.

They didn’t know at first that it was, in fact, a murder scene. A man who just had shot and killed his father opened fire on the arriving officers.

"When I first got shot, I didn't want to look down to see if it was blood,” Azucena said. “I didn't want to faint. I knew Officer Serrano was still out there. I had to get him out of there and make sure everyone was safe."

Azucena’s wife, Ashley, said she was at home when she learned of the shooting.

"I got a phone call -- hardest phone call of my life,” she said. “It was really hard. But I had to be strong for my girls. It's not a phone call anyone wants to get."

She raced to the hospital.

But thankfully, her husband was OK.

Students at Southwest Christian School raised more than $5,000 in donations to a police charity.

Azucena, 26, is taking some time off to fully recuperate and hopes to get back on patrol soon.

He was a security officer at a grocery store before joining the police department.

He graduated from the academy the day after five officers were killed at a protest march in Dallas.

"I think it's a calling. I want to do this,” he said. “It's not going to set me back from coming back to the force."

And even after the close call, his wife is backing him.

"I am going to support him and if he wants to keep doing it,” she said. “I'll let him keep doing it. It is his calling."

Serrano was more seriously wounded, but also is out of the hospital and recovering at home.