'I was going to die': Sampson County deputy shot in the leg shares journey of recovery

It's been nearly five months since Sampson County Sheriff’s Deputy Caitlin Emanuel was shot in the leg in-the-line-of-duty.

2023-01-13

Since then, she's gone through surgery and rehab, with the hope of getting back on patrol.

"People think I'm crazy, maybe even my husband thinks I'm crazy for wanting to come back," Emanuel said. "I want to come back. I want to continue what I was doing.

“Even though I've only been here a little over two years, I love the job."

Emanuel got into a struggle with 36-year-old Michael Walthall while investigating a suspected stolen truck on July 23, 2022. During the struggle, the deputy's gun went off, shooting her twice in the leg.

"The first bullet went here. [It] broke my femur and it was not an exit wound," Emanuel said while pointing at her leg. "Then, with my foot, it went in through the back of my heel and out the side of my foot."

Emanuel's partner, deputy Tyler Spell, applied a tourniquet and rushed her to the hospital. For Emanuel, she believed her life was over.

"I knew that I was going to die that night,” Emanuel said. “Whether it be with a gunshot to the head or however it was, I knew I was going to die that night."

Fortunately for Emanuel, her partners quick actions saved her life, according to doctors.

People from across the county have sent Emanuel have sent her get-well cards, flowers and even a homemade quilt.

For Emanuel, her focus is on healing to get back on the job.

"Hopefully, I'll begin my learning how to walk again process, going back to physical therapy," Emanuel said. "Hopefully, physical therapy will do it for me, and I'll be back to walking and being normal again."