WASECA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Officer Arik Matson, who was shot while responding to a call last winter, is returning home to Waseca, Minnesota after months of recovery.
Matson was shot on Jan. 6 when he and other officers responded to a report of a suspicious person. When they found the man, he ran onto the roof of a garage and shot at the officers, hitting Matson in the head. The suspect, Tyler Janovsky, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder in connection to the incident.
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Officer Matson gives update on his recovery six months after shooting
Officer Arik Matson gives an update six months after he was shot while responding to an incident in Waseca, Minnesota. Video Courtesy: Arik Matson
Matson will be returning home on Oct. 19 and will be welcomed by community members lining up on the sidewalks of State Street/Highway 13. The group will line up at about noon from the Waseca Junior/Senior High School to the Public Safety building. Participants are asked to follow social distancing guidelines. The road will not be closed for the event.
Community members are also giving out Thin Blue Line wristbands with 22 stars on each of them, representing Matson's badge number, 222. The bands can be found at the Waseca Police Department.
In a statement, Chief Penny Vought of the Waseca Police Department said that, “The day we have hoped for is finally almost here. Arik will soon be home with his family, his law enforcement family and his friends. We have missed him tremendously and will continue to support him as he recovers from his injuries. We would like to acknowledge and express our deepest gratitude to the first responders, doctors and nurses who saved his life. We also would like to thank the numerous retired and current law enforcement officers who watched over him at various facilities and the essential workers who provided outstanding care to him during his healing journey. Lastly, thank you to the countless number of people throughout Minnesota and the United States who have sent their well wishes to Arik and to us. Your support will never be forgotten.”