Off-Duty Officer Shot In Puyallup Returns Home: Reports

PUYALLUP, WA — An off-duty police officer who was shot while intervening in a Puyallup burglary late last month has returned home from his stay in the hospital, according to several reports.

Federal Way Police Department Officer Donovan Heavener was shot Sunday, Oct. 31 in downtown Puyallup, near 11th Street Northwest and River Road. According to the Puyallup Police Department, Heavener was shot in the abdomen and rushed to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.

However, despite the severity of those injuries, it appears he is on the road to recovery. KEPR reports that Heavener has been released from the hospital and is now recuperating at home.

Heavener, a 27-year law enforcement veteran, told KIRO 7 he had been out on a jog Halloween morning, when he saw what appeared to be a burglary in progress at Jennings Equipment in Puyallup. He then called 911 to report the crime, but was spotted by the alleged burglars, who shot him in the chest before escaping.

"Next thing I know, I had a pain in my stomach and at that point I knew I was shot," Heavener told KIRO. “I was trying to flag cars down and someone finally stopped… Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. They took part of my intestine, resected my colon, and took my appendix out. I just knew I had a lot of drains coming out of me and a big, like, vacuum seal on my chest holding me together.”

KEPR reports that Heavener expects to be back at the Federal Way Police Department soon. As for his assailants, no arrests have been made, and the Puyallup Police Department continues to ask anyone who witnessed the shooting to come forward.