Fort Worth Police Officer Matt Pearce took a huge step in his recovery Tuesday.
He returned to his job, working part-time, light duty just seven months after being shot five times.
Pearce had been critically wounded in a shootout between police, a fugitive and his son.
The fugitive, Ed McIver Sr., was killed in the shootout.
Pearce was released from the hospital nearly two months after the shooting.
Tuesday was his first day pulling back into work, but Pearce doesn't see what all the fuss is about.
"You all out here for something exciting?" Pearce joked to the crowd of reporters waiting to greet him.
He's getting back to the job he loves and to the co-workers there to welcome him with some good-natured teasing.
"I'm glad you're back and we have a physical fitness test you're going to have to pass in about an hour," FWPD Lt. Scott Keenum told him with a laugh.
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"So, now we got jokes, we got jokes,” said Pearce.
This moment is all the brighter when you think of the dark day back in March when Pearce was shot five times by a fugitive he was chasing down.
"It's a special day,” said Pearce. “I think this is only a small step to where I want to be."
He's back on light duty for now.
"I'm only working four hours a week. It's a real tough schedule."
Pearce is rejoining the FWPD's Tactical Medic Unit, a group of officers trained as EMT's to respond to scenes that are too dangerous for a paramedic to go to.
"Let us go do that,” said Pearce. “We get the training, we get the armor, we get the guns to return fire."
When Pearce was shot, the Tactical Medic unit was on hiatus because of manpower issues. But a trained officer was there to save his life and right after, the chief ordered the unit back in business.
"It was kind of a hard way to find out that we needed it," said Pearce.
"Thanks for taking one for the team," Lt. Keenum called out.
"Yeah, I'll take one for the team,” Pearce replied. “Actually, I'll take five for the team."
There's that teasing again.
"It's how we show love to each other," Pearce said. "That's all I need just to keep getting up every day, strapping on a vest and going out and risking my life."
A mission that started again Tuesday with one more big step in getting a true blue officer back on the streets.
Pearce is still in intensive physical therapy three days a week.
His goal is to be back in uniform and working full-time next March 15, a year to the day after his injury.
Gov. Greg Abbott presented the prestigious Star of Texas Award — awarded to first responders injured or killed in the line of duty — to Pearce in Austin in September.
