Fundraiser helps El Paso officer facing surgery after being struck during funeral procession
The law enforcement and El Paso communities came together Friday to help an injured brother in blue.
A long line of people gathered at the Pebble Hills Regional Command Center for a fundraiser benefiting Officer Patrick Martinez.
“I’m out of work right now, I’m not getting a full paycheck,” Martinez said. “It’s going to help me out with bills and stuff at home– groceries.”
On May 17, Martinez was working off-duty as a funeral escort when a Lexus SUV hit the motorcycle he was riding near Loop 375 and Edgemere Boulevard.
“The only thing I can offer to people who ride motorcycles is to be aware of your surroundings,” Martinez said. “There’s so many people driving around who don’t pay attention to the motorcyclists out there.Put your cells phones down and pay attention to the roads.”
As people piled on the chicken and swiped up the doughnuts the donations started to increase. Martinez said he’s handling the situation “day-by-day,” but is hopeful that he’ll heal.
“I have surgery coming up on Monday, so just keep me in your thoughts and prayers,” Martinez said. “I’d really appreciate that. Hopefully everything will be back to normal for me pretty soon.”
