Mass. Officer Shot In Face: 'I Feel Lucky'

BOSTON --

Two months after being shot on duty, a Framingham police officer said he feels lucky and he's not going to let the injury slow him down.

NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper reported that Phil Hurton was chasing a robbery suspect who ran into the darkness and allegedly ambushed him on April 14.

"There wasn't much pain in the beginning. I think it was adrenalin. It stung -- it stung really bad," Hurton said.

Hurton was hit twice in the face by 40-caliber slugs -- one hit his teeth, the other was embedded in his tongue.

"One of them grazed me and hit my ear. The other one went in my dimple, knocked out my back teeth. It shattered my jaw, and stopped in my neck near the artery and trachea. Doctors couldn't explain why it stopped and didn't do more damage to my throat," Hurton said.

The bullet came within a millimeter of the carotid artery.

"It was dark. I was off by myself away from my car. I was concerned if I fell down and couldn't get up, they might not find me in time. They would find me, but I didn't know how much time I had. So, I had to make it back to the street, to the car, so somebody could find me," Hurton said.

With blood pouring out of the facial wounds and injuries to both hands, Hurton held on. Other officers swarmed into arrest a first suspect and a second suspect was picked up later.

Hurton, 32, is recovering faster than doctors expected, and he is eager to get back on the street.

"I feel very lucky. I don't look at it as unlucky. I could look at it one of two ways: I got shot and nearly got killed or I look at it as I got shot and I survived," Hurton said.

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