ARNOLD — Ryan O'Connor, an Arnold police officer who became well-known in the region after he survived a shooting in 2017, is in the intensive care unit of a local hospital with COVID-19, according to Arnold police.
O'Connor was on a ventilator over the weekend and supporters held a prayer service Sunday for his recovery, said Arnold police Chief Robert Shockey.
Arnold Officer Ryan O'Connor is pictured in this undated photo courtesy of the Arnold Police Department.
O'Connor at age 44 in December 2017 was was shot in the back of the head by a handcuffed prisoner he was driving to the Arnold police station. The shooter then shot and killed himself in the back of a police SUV.
O'Connor has since left the police department and is recovering from a traumatic brain injury while regaining the ability to walk, talk and function as independently as possible. He is married with four children.
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In 2019, the Gary Sinise Foundation announced it would provide an adapted smart home in Wildwood to serve O'Connor's medical needs.Â
"Through his indomitable spirit and sheer willpower he has overcome every obstacle placed in front of him," the Arnold police department posted on Facebook Sunday. "We turn once again to his extended family both near and far that has always extended it’s unwavering support."
Arnold Police Officer Ryan O'Connor, who was shot on Tuesday, Dev. 5, 2017, by a burglary suspect who then shot and killed himself. This photo was released by authorities.
Erin Heffernan
Erin Heffernan is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
