(AJC) – When he was growing up in metro Atlanta, Matias Ferreira attended the 1996 Olympics. That was when he first developed respect for men in uniform, according to a report in liherald.com.
That helped lead Ferreira, a Morrow High graduate, to join the Marines. Although he had both legs amputated below the knee after an incident involving a hidden explosive device in Afghanistan in 2011, Ferreira, 28, is staying in a uniform.
This week, he became a police officer in Suffolk County, N.Y., according to multiple media outlets.
Ferreira, who stands on titanium prosthetics, is believed to be one of the nation’s first double amputees to serve as a fully active police officer, Suffolk department spokesman Justin Meyers told Newsday.
“This is someone who served our nation, paid a significant sacrifice, and is now able to overcome adversity in a tremendous way,” Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said. Ferreira completed 29 weeks of training, Newsday reported. He’ll drive a police car and is scheduled to begin patrols next week.
