Fundraiser Launched To Buy NYPD Officer Shot In Head A New Car

LONG ISLAND, NY—NYPD officer Keith Wagenhauser has recovered enough from a gunshot wound to his head on New Year's Eve to be back home recuperating at home on Long Island. The Harlem-based officer was napping in his car before a work shift when he was struck by a stray bullet. Now, his patrol partner has launched a fundraising effort to help buy the injured officer, former Marine and father, a new vehicle.

"Keith is a tough guy by most all standards, but even after that period is over when he can drive again, the thought of getting back into that vehicle and feeling safe is something I can’t comprehend...even after trying to clean the stains out from the incident," Justin Senese wrote on the GoFundMe page.

The campaign was launched Friday morning, and so far has collected almost $2,000 out of a $10,000 goal.

The NYPD has vowed to find the source of the bullet that injured Wagenhauser, who was filmed leaving New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center on Sunday. A titanium plate has been placed in his skull as it heals, Senese said.

"The circumstances in this case could have easily been much worse, and he is on track to a full recovery, God willing."