Soldier injured in Iraq becomes LMPD officer

Soldier injured in Iraq becomes LMPD officer

By Janelle MacDonald

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - LMPD graduated its newest class of officers Friday and one of them has already led an amazing life in the U.S. Military.

Twenty men and women are beginning new lives, putting their own lives at risk as LMPD officers

New officer Dexter Pitts is just hoping for a calmer life than the one he led before.

"When I was in the Army, I served with the 10th Mountain Division in Iraq," Pitts said.

Two years in, insurgents struck.

"I got wounded in action by a 300 pound bomb on January 2nd of 2005," Pitts said. "I just had this bad feeling. I just knew something wasn't right. You know, you can feel when somebody's watching you. I just knew somebody was watching us."

He was right.

"The next thing I know, I wake up and I'm looking at the sky," said Pitts. "I looked down at my left arm and my bones were trying to come through my skin ... I remember waking up in the Humvee and my lieutenant was like, 'You're good man. You're alive man.' He pulled me out the Humvee and it hurt so bad."

He went through six months of rehabilitation at Walter Reed Medical Center.

"I had 12 operations," said Pitts. "I had radiation therapy. I constantly battle with sickness, PTSD, nightmares."
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