NC Cop With No Feet Earns His Job Back

**gopherpuckfan** · 07-20-07, 11:33 PM

Awesome story!!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,290127,00.html

North Carolina Cop Injured in Iraq Wins Back Place on Police Force at Home

Friday , July 20, 2007

A North Carolina police officer who lost his feet while working as a contractor in Iraq has won back his place on the police force, MyFOXWGHP.com reports.

Ken Leonard passed his physical to return to the High Point, N.C., force with 24 seconds to spare on Thursday.
Click here to see photos.
"Somebody told me one time they said, 'You know, what you've lost is just bone and muscle. You've still got heart, and you've still got, you know, what's up here,'" Leonard told MyFOXWGHP.com, pointing to his head.

Click here to watch MyFOXWGHP.com's report.
Leonard lost his feet in December 2005, while working for a private security firm in Iraq. The former cop had to pass the Police Officers Physical Abilities Test, which includes a 200-yard run, in under 7 minutes, 20 seconds. In May, he was only able to complete the test in 8 minutes, 36 seconds. On Thursday, Leonard realized his dream, completing the test in 6 minutes, 56 seconds.

Click here to watch his full physical fitness test at MyFOXWGHP.com.

Leonard told MyFOXWGHP.com that a Winston Churchill quote, "Never, never, never give up," kept him focused on his goal.
"It's kind of like trying to get back to your life," Leonard told the station. "Where you were before, and I think that's the key to it."

**bird1** · 07-20-07, 11:47 PM

**Terminator** · 07-21-07, 12:19 AM

The former cop had to pass the Police Officers Physical Abilities Test, which includes a 200-yard run, in under 7 minutes, 20 seconds.

Good story, but the test is a lot harder than they made it sound. He deserves even more credit. Here is what he had to do to pass the POPAT, in the 7 minutes and 20 seconds, with no feet:

-The officer starts out seatbelted into a patrol car, doors shut, with his hands on the steering wheel. He is wearing a duty belt, with a rubber gun, and holster, magazine case, flashlight ring, and D Cell maglite. The officer is given two street names, in a specific order when he indicates he is ready.
-Officer then unbuckles his seatbelt, exits the patrol vehicle, and advances forward 100 yards (300 feet) to a cone.
-Officer then comes back 100 yards, to the front passenger side of the patrol vehicle.
-Officer opens the passenger door, removes seatbelt, and drags a 150 lb dummy from the passenger seat, to 50 feet behind him, dragging the dummy in the correct, approved position.
-Officer then advances to a staircase, where he goes up and then down, 3 times, touching all steps.
-Officer then advances 25 feet to a doorway, with a door, which maintains constant resistance of 50 pounds. The officer must use his body to ram through the door.
-The officer must then drop down and do 20 military style push-ups, and 20 military style sit-ups. An instructor will have his fist on the ground, making sure your chin touches it with each push-up. All incorrect push-ups or sit-ups do not count.
-Officer then returns 25 feet to the staircase, going up and down the stairs, 3 times, touching all steps.
-Officer then advances 25 feet to a 40 foot long culvert, where he must remove his flashlight, turn it on, and crawl through the culvert on his hands and knees, using the flashlight to see.
-At the end of the culvert, the Officer drops down, and performs 20 military style push-ups, and 20 military style sit-ups.
-Then the Officer advances forward 100 yards to the cone, and 100 yards back, by the original starting point.
-Upon crossing the finish line, the Officer is asked his street names, in order. If he gets them, the time is stopped. If he does not know them, or get them in the order they were given, his time continues to run, and he must advance forward 100 yards up, and 100 yards back.

It's a beyotch. All cops here have to pass this to graduate the academy. Some agencies make their officers pass it yearly to keep their jobs.

Anyway, kudos to the cop!

**gopherpuckfan** · 07-21-07, 12:47 AM

Wow! That's a hell of a physical! My department had me on a treadmill until I hit my target heart rate. Oh, and they do a back x-ray plus vision and hearing tests.

**conalabu** · 07-21-07, 01:19 AM

Slainte mile failte.

**Jenna** · 07-21-07, 03:18 AM

Wow! That's amazing! Most people with their feet intact probably couldn't pass that test.

**Terminator** · 07-21-07, 03:30 AM

Originally Posted by Jenna

Wow! That's amazing! Most people with their feet intact probably couldn't pass that test.

How long did it take you to come to that conclusion!

**Buttercup** · 07-21-07, 08:10 AM

That is awesome!

**zone4_car** · 07-21-07, 10:10 AM

Terminator is right, the POPAT isnt a joke. The POPAT wasnt in place when I went to the academy, but I had to do it when I went to swat school. Huge surprise! Its a ass kicker. I read somewhere that this officer was quoted saying "They might have slowed me down, but they didnt stop me." Awsome. This cop has a heart like a nine pound hammer.

**matt86** · 07-21-07, 10:13 AM

I'll second that... A lot of the people in my academy class still can't pass it after all the pt we've been doing. I got to witness him running the popat Thursday and it was an inspiration.