Patches for Pearce Keep Rolling In

Fort Worth Police Officer Matt Pearce continues to recover at John Peter Smith Hospital after being wounded in the line of duty weeks ago, and he's getting support from fellow officers from around the world.

Pearce's wife, Laura, has occasionally passed along updates on her husband's medical condition on social media during his recovery. Social media is also the source of one of the most impressive signs of support for the family yet.

"I'm overwhelmed," Fort Worth Police Officers' Association president Sgt. Rick Van Houten said.

Van Houten and the FWPOA is overwhelmed with patches, mugs, thank you cards and challenge coins that have been sent into the office since Pearce was shot.

"This was a request from Laura Pearce," Van Houten said. "I wanted to expect it, but didn't want to get my hopes up."

At first, the social media request didn't see much results, only about four or five patches had arrived. But soon, Patches for Pearce overwhelmed the POA's mailbox and filled up an overflow mailbox.

"I come into the office and there's a 2-foot square box of this stuff and they keep pouring in," Van Houten said. "This is is how we support each other. This is a simple gesture from across the nation, across the world, this means the world to the recipient."

The initial thought was a making a quilt of all those patches, but the POA says it'll take it's marching orders from Mrs. Pearce.

As for Officer Pearce's condition, Van Houten says he's not out of the woods yet but is improving despite some setbacks.

"He's a fighter," Van Houten said. "He is recovering, he will recover, he will survive this."

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