(AJC) \u2013 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\u00a0liherald.com.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
This week, he became a police officer in Suffolk County, N.Y., according to multiple media outlets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ferreira, who stands on titanium prosthetics, is believed to be one of the nation\u2019s first double amputees to serve as a fully active police officer,\u00a0<\/strong>Suffolk department spokesman Justin Meyers told Newsday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThis is someone who served our nation, paid a significant sacrifice, and is now able to overcome adversity in a tremendous way,\u201d Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said. Ferreira completed 29 weeks of training, Newsday reported. He\u2019ll drive a police car and is scheduled to begin patrols next week.<\/p>\n