Support Officer Joe Lock's Road to Recovery

United States Treasury Police Officer Joe Lock was on patrol Thursday, 7/18/24, at a federal facility in Fort Worth, Texas, when he was critically injured. Joe was making contact with a suspect regarding a situation that happened moments earlier when things began to escalate. Joe was attempting to reason with the suspect as they were attempting to leave the scene. The suspect managed to put the vehicle in gear, and accelerate as Joe was hung up on the door. The vehicle struck another vehicle, crushing Joe in between while ripping through his legs, critically injuring him. 

 

With the suspect continuing to try an escape, Joe found himself lying on the concrete, unable to move with his blood quickly leaving his body. This is where many people would’ve folded, called it a day, and just gave up, but not Joe. As a veteran police officer of 33 years, Joe fell back on his training; he remained calm, cool, and collected, and made that dreaded call of “officer down.” Joe didn’t stop there, he had the fortitude to continue alerting responding officers by radio with a description of the suspect's vehicle and the direction of their escape. The suspect continued in their attempt to flee, ultimately crashing out a short-distance away. 

 

Responding officers arrived on the scene, took the suspect into custody, and immediately began life-saving techniques by applying tourniquets, which proved to save Joe's life. Joe was then transported by a Care Flight helicopter to a Level One Trauma Center, where he underwent hours of surgery. Joe had a remarkable team of able doctors to save one of Joe’s legs, but Joe ultimately had to have his right leg amputated above the knee.

 

Joe has since had multiple surgeries, and after the next round of surgeries, Joe will then have a lengthy road of recovery and rehab ahead of him, which will take his wife away from her job for an undetermined amount of time. This will leave the family with a financial burden moving forward, as nothing in the federal government moves quickly.

He wishes to thank all of you for your support and prayers during this trying time.

Joe would like to especially thank his fellow U.S. Treasury Police Officers who responded to the scene and continued to hold the line in the following days. He would also like to thank the Fort Worth Police Department’s North Patrol Division, Fort Worth Fire Department, Saginaw Fire Department, Med Star Ambulance Service, the CareFlite crew, the Dispatchers who took the calls, and finally, the medical team of doctors and nurses who performed life-saving surgery and treatments to help Joe stabilize and heal.

Joe has served 33 years as a police officer in Texas, both at the municipal and federal levels. He has an amazing wife who has been by his side since the incident and 3 kids who love him dearly.

We appreciate any and all donations, but most of all, please keep Cpl. Joe Lock and his family in your prayers as they move forward.

Thank you