RICHMOND, Va. -- Nearly one year ago, Richmond police officers Jason Scott and Rashad Martin’s lives would change forever on the city’s Southside.
A 19-year-old man shot and severely wounded the partners on Semmes Avenue while they responded to a report of someone with a gun during the early morning hours of June 2, 2020.
“From talking to somebody within 15 seconds it was just pure chaos,” Scott recalled.
Martin was shot first in the knee and arm. Scott was shot and critically wounded in the chest and stomach.
Responding officers raced Scott to VCU Medical Center in an SUV.
“They literally threw me in the back of an Explorer and took me to VCU without hesitation,” he recalled.
Witness cell phone video obtained by CBS 6 showsOfficer Martin carried on a stretcher into an ambulance.
“I still have scaring around my knee and still have another surgery coming up,” Martin explained. “It’s been definitely a tough and challenging process. I honestly thought I was going to be better by now.”
The shooting occurred during last year's Summer of civil unrest and nightly protests for justice reform. The suspect was not part of the protests, according to Richmond Police.
Scott has now started physical therapy, but Martin is still waiting for an OK from the doctors before he begins his next treatment.
More than one year later, both men share physical and mental scars.
“There's really not a day that doesn’t go by where I don’t think about the shooting,” Scott said.
Martin said he’ll never forget the moment when he saw Scott shot on the ground and not breathing.
But support from strangers has helped them heal.
GoFundMe campaigns set up after the shooting has raised thousands of dollars for the officers. Law enforcement from all over continue to rally behind their families as they slowly recover. [Officer Martin Online Fundraiser | Officer Scott Online Fundraiser ]
Scott received a round of applause from dozens of law enforcement who stood outside the ER as he left the hospital in a wheelchair. He spent a month recovering at the hospital, while Martin was at VCU Medical Center for a week.
“I literally got letters and dog tags and stuff from people all over the country. It wasn’t just the Richmond community. It was literally nationwide,” Scott stated.
Both officers are uncertain if they’ll return to patrolling within the Richmond Police Department. That’s a decision they plan to make with their families in the future.
The officers shared their story with CBS 6 to thank the community and show that law enforcement is resilient, they said.
“So many officers never got to do an interview after they were involved a shooting,” Scott said. “To be here and accept the invitation was at least important to me.”
The suspect, 19-year-old Waseem A. Hackett, was charged with malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Hackett, who is now 20 years old, is at the Richmond City Jail awaiting trial. A court date has not yet been set.
