(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago Police Office Carlos Yanez Jr. was released from the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab Thursday morning where he was recovering from several gunshot wounds he suffered during a traffic stop in West Englewood two months ago.
Yanez Jr. was greeted with a live mariachi band, family and fellow police officers when he left the rehabilitation center.
“All my family and friends, thank you for all the support. From the officers that saved my life — you know driving me to the University of Chicago — and the medical staff,” Yanez Jr. told reporters outside the facility. “All the nurses and [Patient Care Technicians], you know, especially here at this facility. It’s the best in the country.”
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Yanez Jr. was with two partners in early August when they pulled over a gray SUV at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue for having expired license plates. The stop turned violent when one of the passengers pulled a gun and fired multiple shots at the officers.
Yanez Jr. was shot four times and as a result lost an eye and still has two bullets lodged in his brain, his father previously told the Sun-Times. His partner Chicago Police Officer Ella French was killed during the altercation.
Chicago police said at the time of the shooting that Yanez was “fighting for his very life” and in critical condition.
Yanez Jr.’s father, Carlos Yanez Sr., also gave thanks to the outpouring support his family received.
“He’s come a long way but he’s got a long way to go,” Yanez Sr. said. “Thank you all.”
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2021. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)