Deputy Scott Stone getting stronger every day
For the first time since it happened, El Paso County Deputy Scott Stone spoke publicly about the shooting that killed one of his partners and left him badly injured.
Back on February 5, Deputy Micah Flick was fatally shot by Manuel Zetina, who also died, in a shootout that resulted from an auto theft investigation at the Murray Hill Apartments in Colorado Springs.
Along with CSPD detective Marcus Yanez and civilian Thomas Villanueva, deputies Jake Abendschan and Scott Stone were injured.
This week, Stone received a special award for his sacrifice, a handmade plaque depicting a black and white American flag with a thin blue line and the El Paso County badge superimposed on top of it.
“This represents everything that I stand for,” said Stone during the presentation, “I mean, I went and was doing my job that day, and I’m going to do it again. I’m not going to let something like this keep me from what I love doing.”
It’s the latest act of appreciation boosting Deputy Stone in his physical and emotional recovery from that tragic day that left him shot in the abdomen, in and out of the hospital for weeks.
A month and a half later, he still feels the support.
“Everybody has reached out, everybody has kept in contact with me, my friends, I consider this office my family,” he said.
It will be six months to a year before he’s back at work, but with a team of six doctors and three physical therapy sessions a week, he hopes to pick up right where he left off.
“I’m getting stronger every day and I’m going to make a full recovery, and be back out there,” he said.
It’s the same positive attitude he has maintained from the beginning.
According to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, Stone is currently receiving workers’ compensation, which only covers about two-thirds of his normal pay.
However, the county has opted to pay the final third, and the county’s insurance is covering all of Stone’s medical expenses.
The incident report detailing how that tragic day unfolded still hasn’t been released by CSPD, the agency investigating the shooting.
The District Attorney’s office will eventually evaluate what happened, then release its findings.
