>>KENT JUSTICE: FINISHING THE FIGHT ON NEWS. 4 JAX AT 6. YOU HEARD ABOUT JACKSONVILLE
POLICE OFFICER JENNIFER
JOHNSON, HER NEAR FATAL
ENCOUNTER WITH A SHOPLIFTING
SUSPECT IN THE MAN WHO IS
CREDITED WITH SAVING HER LIFE.
>>MARY BAER: SHE SAT DOWN WITH
OUR OWN JOY PURDY WHO ASKED
HER. DO YOU STILL WANT TO BE A
POLICE OFFICER AFTER ALL OF
THIS?
>>JOY PURDY: IT’S INCREDIBLE.
OFFICER JOHNSON SAYS SHE STILL
LOVES THE JOB SHE SIGNED UP
FOR WITH THE JACKSONVILLE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE. AS FOR THE
SUSPECT WHO NEARLY KILLED OR
OFFICER JOHNSON SAYS SHE
DOESN’T HATE HIM OR EVEN THINK
ABOUT HIM. SHE SAYS HER SIGHTS
ARE SET ON HER OWN FUTURE AND
HEALING FROM HER INJURIES. A
WARNING SOME OF THOSE INJURIES
ARE BLOOD E AND DISTURBING TO
SEE. A ROUTINE SHOPLIFTING
CALL AT THIS JACKSONVILLE.
WALMART NEARLY KILLED OFFICER
JENNIFER JOHNSON.
>> I WAS CALM. HE STOP RIGHT
IN HIS TRACKS. LOOKED AT ME,
PUT HIS HANDS BY HIS SIDE. HE
DID NOT SHOW ANY SHOTS. SIGNS
OF AGGRESSION.
>>JOY PURDY: THE ARREST REPORT
SAYS 40 YEAR-OLD JOSEPH
MERRILL HAD STOLEN AT LEAST
$176 WORTH OF MERCHANDISE.
OFFICER JOHNSON APPROACHED IN
THAT FEBRUARY MORNING. NEXT
THING I KNOW I WAS PUNCH. I
DIDN’T FEEL IT. SHE WAS HIT SO
HARD. SO MANY TIMES SHE WAS
KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS. HER JAW
BROKEN, FORCING DOCTORS TO
WIRED SHUT FOR 3 WEEKS. SHE
ATE FOOD TO SYRINGES. 3 MONTHS
LATER, THE METAL ANCHORS
DOCTORS USE ARE STILL SCREWED
INTO HER GUMS. AS SPECIALISTS
MONITOR HER HEALING CURRENTLY
RIGHT IT DON’T ESSENTIALLY
CLOSE.
>> AND TOUCHED SIMON ABLE TO
CHEW REALLY AT THIS POINT.
>>JOY PURDY: BUT SHE IS SO
THANKFUL FOR SO MUCH,
INCLUDING THE MAN SHE CALLS
HER ANGEL.
>> THERE WAS A THURSDAY. I
JUST DROPPED MY SON OFF FROM
SCHOOL.
>>JOY PURDY: JACKSONVILLE
POLICE SERGEANT STEVE RED LEFT
JUST HAPPENED TO BE DRIVING BY
AND SAW WHAT HAPPENED.
>> AND I SAW A WOMAN SECURITY
COMING DOWN THE HILL AND SO
ACTUALLY TOOK OFF AFTER THE
YELLEN AFTER HIM TO STOP ON
YELLOW POLICE.
>> AND THEN I AM ABSOLUTELY
JUST ASKING GOD TO GIVE ME THE
STRENGTH AND THE COURAGE TO BE
ABLE TO STAY UP WITH THEM AND
CATCH HIM.
>> AND YOU IT.
>>JOY PURDY: DO YOU SEE
YOURSELF AS A HERO? YOU SAVED
HER LIFE. SHE COULD HAVE DIED.
I FEEL THAT GOD.
>> ME HERE AT THE RIGHT PLACE,
RIGHT TIME SUSPECT WAS ON TOP
OF THE POLICE OFFICER. HER
HEAD.
>>JOY PURDY: JOE’S OF MERRILL
IS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED
BATTERY ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER, A FIRST-DEGREE
FELONY. HE FACES UP TO 30
YEARS IN PRISON. ONCE I, YOU
KNOW, REALIZED.
>> EVERYTHING IS OK, I’M OKAY.
THAT’S WHEN I BEGAN TO FEEL
THE PAIN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY
AND KNEW THAT I REALLY DID
NEED SOME HELP.
>>JOY PURDY: HER BOYFRIEND, A
RETIRED JACKSONVILLE
FIREFIGHTER, RUSHED TO MEET
HER AT THE HOSPITAL AND SAYS
SHE NEVER LOST HER SMILE.
>> TALKING EVERYBODY THAT’S
COMING INTO A ROOM AND I KNOW
SHE COULD BE AN SOME SERIOUS
PAIN. AND THROUGH IT ALL, YOU
KNOW, SHE’S SMILING. YOU KNOW.
THAT’S INCREDIBLE.
>> THE HARDEST PART OF HER
HEALING ANSWERING HER
CHILDREN’S QUESTIONS.
>>MARY BAER: JUST SEE THAT
LITTLE TEARS, YOU KNOW,
RUNNING DOWN CHEEKS IS TOUGH
TO SEE.
>> WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THAT, I
TRIED.
>> WHY DID YOU COME CAMP. HE
OR IN THE YEAR.
>> THIS AD KIDS. GREAT
>> YEAH. AND SHE PLAY KING AND
HER FACE FREIGHT LINK RIGHT
HERE.
>> WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HER YOU
FEEL BUT THEIR IN
PERIODICALLY? THOSE STILL ASK
ME, YOU KNOW WHAT TO 2 MONTHS
LATER, IS HE STILL JAIL? THIS
IS YOU’RE IN JAIL. SAY YES,
KIDS, HE’S IN JAIL. YES, WE’LL
BE THERE FOR FOR A WHILE. ARE
YOU ANGRY AT THE GUY WHO DID
THIS?
>> HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, FIRST
REACTION, OF COURSE, IS IS TO
BE UPSET AND, YOU KNOW, WONDER
WHY. WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO
ME? BUT ULTIMATELY I’M HERE.
>> I’M BREATHING. I’M ALIVE.
I’M STILL ABLE TO BE A MOTHER
TO MY CHILDREN.
>> THAT IS ARE THERE THINGS
THAT YOU ASK OR THAT ARE STILL
IN YOUR MIND AFTER HOW SHE’S
GOING TO BACK TO NORMAL WENT
OUT LIKE EVERYTHING’S HEALED.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT SHE’S
WANTING TO DO AFTER. SO DO YOU
STILL WANT TO BE A POLICE
OFFICER?
>> ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, A
REALLY BAD THING HAPPENED TO
ME. YES. BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO
CHANGE WHO I AM AND WHAT I
WANT TO TALKING ABOUT
CONTINUED PAIN. YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT ALWAYS BEING CAUTIOUS OF
WHAT’S AROUND YOU AND HURTING
AGAIN.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT HOW IT’S AFFECTED YOUR
LIFE, BUT YOU KEEP SMILING AND
YOU KEEP TALKING POSITIVELY
AND YOU CAN LOOKING AHEAD, HOW
DO YOU DO THAT ALL THE TIME?
IT’S JUST WHO I AM. YOU KNOW,
IT’S IT’S MY HEART MY FAITH IN
GOD. THAT’S WHAT’S GOT ME
THROUGH THIS. AND I KNEW THAT
DAY. HE GOT HAD ME AND HE WILL
CONTINUE TO HAVE ME. AND HE
PROVIDES THAT STRENGTH.
HONESTLY. AND I WANT TO THE
THAT POSITIVE SHINING A LIGHT
FOR OTHERS FOR MY CHILDREN.
YOU KNOW, I WANT THEM TO SEE
MY STRENGTH. AND JUST HOLD ON
TO THAT. I KNOW NOT ONE PERSON
NEVER TAKE THAT FOR ME AND
CERTAINLY NOT HIM.
>>JOY PURDY: HER POSITIVE
ATTITUDE IS CONTAGIOUS AND HER
FUTURE IS SO BRIGHT. SHEEHAN,
ROY, GIVE US A TOUR OF THE
MODEL HOME. THEY’RE BUILDING
TOGETHER ON JACKSONVILLE’S
SOUTHSIDE. AND OFFICER JOHNSON
IS ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO
REJOINING THE JACKSONVILLE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE. WINTER
INJURIES HEAL. HEAR MORE
DETAILS ABOUT HER NEAR FATAL
ENCOUNTER THAT FEBRUARY
MORNING. INSIDE THIS WEB STORY