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Paralyzed deputy reflects on past year

Jennifer Frew | The News Herald

Martin Lawing and his canine assistant, Phantom, share a moment Friday at the Burke County sheriff's office.

Martin Lawing Multimedia

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By Julie N. Chang | The News Herald

Published: December 10, 2008

MORGANTON - One year after a shooting that paralyzed him from the chest down, Martin Lawing, 32, is back at work and doing what he loves.

Accompanied by a service dog, Lawing said he works full-time at the Burke County Sheriff's Office. He appreciates the chance to reengage in his career.

"I'm assuming responsibility for the paperwork side instead of the hands-on field work," Lawing said.

He serves as an investigator for the federally run Organization Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

"It's wonderful (to be back)," Lawing said. "Everyone is receptive and happy to have me back."

Sheriff John McDevitt seconded that opinion.

"We're just happy that he's here," McDevitt said. "We're thankful that he is alive and able to return to some sense of normalcy."

McDevitt recalled the tense and emotional period after Lawing's injury.

"There was a long time there that we weren't even sure he was going to survive his injuries," McDevitt said.

The path to recovery hasn't been easy. Lawing still attends physical therapy sessions twice a week. He remains paralyzed from the chest down, but has mobility in his arms and partial mobility of his fingers. He moves around the office in a wheelchair that he powers with his arms.

Lawing returned to part-time work in August. First, he focused on making his computer and work-space user friendly. This included adding a voice-recognition program to assist with typing.

Lawing said he spent the last two weeks of September in Alpharetta, Ga., where he acquainted himself with Phantom, his canine assistant. Among other things, Phantom can turn lights on and off, open doors and pull out drawers, Lawing said Phantom accompanies him wherever he goes.

Thanks to community
Lawing worked arduously to return to his career. He attributes his recovery to the support he received from his family, friends and co-workers.

Lawing expressed a great amount of gratitude to the community that contributed financially – he said he received almost $150,000 from people and organizations – and emotionally to his recovery.

The past year has seen numerous fundraisers and benefits for Lawing, who is married and has a daughter.

Lawing also received $10,000 as the grand prize winner of America's Most Wanted All-Star competition in May, thanks to the online votes of community members. "America's Most Wanted" aired a profile on Lawing that included a reenactment how he was shot on Dec. 11, 2007.

One year ago
On that day, deputies attempted to serve involuntary commitment papers on Joyce Eva Smith Nelson, 61, at her home off Enola Road.

Nelson barricaded herself inside her mobile home and the sheriff's office called in the Burke County SWAT team, in which Lawing was a member.

The team tried to establish contact by throwing a bag phone in the window.

Someone fired a gun from the house and a bullet struck Lawing in the neck.

The bag phone recorded the sound of the shot as well as Lawing saying, "I've been shot." Maj. Banks Hinceman is immediately heard shouting, "Officer down!"

The efforts of his co-workers to move Lawing out of harm's way and into McDevitt's car can be heard on the tape, too.

The standoff between law enforcement and Nelson lasted until 7 a.m. the next day.

She subsequently was committed to Broughton Hospital.

The recovery
EMS workers rushed Lawing to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte where doctors found the bullet paralyzed Lawing from the neck down.

Lawing's determination would not allow the diagnosis to dictate his life.

McDevitt attributes Lawing's recovery to his strong mental health, which also helped Lawing's colleagues stay positive as he recuperated. Interviews with Lawing's co-workers throughout the year consistently found that Lawing was and is an inspiration to law enforcement officers.

Through physical therapy sessions, Lawing slowly regained limited movement with his arms.

As a result of rigorous physical therapy at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Ga., the bullet gradually migrated close to the skin in Lawing's shoulder. Doctors removed the bullet in February.

Lawing subsequently began physical therapy sessions at the Phoenix Center in Denver.

He returned home last summer and in June made his first public appearances in Burke County since the shooting. He attended one benefit fundraiser at the Drexel Fairgrounds and a second benefit in Morganton.

The aftermath
Although Lawing has returned to work, the repercussions of the standoff still reverberate through the sheriff's of-fice.

"It's really affected everybody deeply," McDevitt said.

"Every officer here thinks of it every day. It affects how they respond to things, as it certainly should."

A long-time advocate of improving mental health facilities, the sheriff has repeatedly pointed out the lack of mental-health beds since before the standoff a year ago.

"We had a meeting this week – we have meetings every week – about mental health issues in North Carolina," McDevitt said. "There is a need for some kind of constant review of these people who are on medication after their release from mental-health facilities."

Broughton Hospital released Nelson on Jan. 25. Police immediately took her into custody and charged her with attempted first-degree murder, assault with a firearm, assault on a law enforcement official with a firearm and discharging a weapon on occupied territory.

Nelson remains confined at the Burke-Catawba District Confinement Facility. She is to appear in court March 17.