Las Vegas cop shot in head at George Floyd protest may end up spending life on ventilator, family says
Las Vegas police officer, Shay Mikalonis was shot in the head during a protest in the wake of George Floyd's death. It has now been revealed that he could spend his entire life on a ventilator, as per his family. The 29-year-old was shot on June 1 at the protest that had taken place on the Las Vegas strip. The authorities had been attempting to arrest some of the demonstrators when Mikalonis was shot, the police revealed.
They took to Twitter to share a message from Mikalonis' family which read, "Shay is on a ventilator and will be for the foreseeable future or perhaps the rest of his life. He is still very critical and therefore still at UMC Trauma. He had a setback today but the outstanding staff at UMC is working hard to get his vitals back under control. We just want everyone to know that Shay is a fighter but he has a long hard fight ahead of him!"
They added that the LVMPD had been very supportive of Shay "from the officers that are watching over him at the hospital all the way up to Sheriff Lombardo". "We also appreciate our Las Vegas community that sends their love and support for Shay." The statement further read, "Our concern is for Shay and only Shay. We hope and pray that one day he will leave UMC Trauma and go to a rehabilitation facility [where] they can work on Shay’s quality of life, whatever that may be."
The President of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, Steve Grammas, thanked the cops and supporters for the vigils that they have held at the hospital and for all those who have dropped off food, NY Post reports. Grammas said, "From the moment Shay got shot, the community has continued to support him and our officers. We are thankful for it." 20-year-old Edgar Samaniego is believed to have shot Mikalonis. The suspect is facing counts of attempted murder, battery, and gun charges. According to a prosecutor in the case, the police video shows "visual evidence of the actual act" of Mikalonis being shot.
Many social media users sent in their prayers and good wishes to Mikalonis via the comments section on the police post. One such user wrote, "I pray for a miracle for Shay. No one deserves what this young man had happen to him. I also pray for grace for the family to endure what they will have to endure to get through this." A second shared, "This is so awful! I hope you have found the scumbag that did this. If not, anyone you can recognize that was there should be held accountable. It’s called being responsible for actions...even in a crowd."
"Our prayers and sympathy go out to his family as well as his Brothers in Blue. Our hope is he will return to a quality of life that he may return home to his family. God Bless and protect you all," wrote another. A fourth chimed in,"God bless Shay and his family. Give them all strength to fight and peace as he recuperates. God grant them the wisdom to make decisions and protect his future. Amen."