Source St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO — A Ferguson officer severely injured during a protest last week has undergone several surgeries and is showing small signs of progress, his family said online Thursday.
Officer Travis Brown, known to family and friends as TJ, has had procedures to treat the swelling and fluid in his brain, his family wrote on the GoFundMe page set up for his medical bills.
A doctor on Wednesday told his family his brain activity was “encouraging.”
“In the past few days, we’ve witnessed a few small but significant signs of progress—three coughs, and slight movements in his leg and hand,” they wrote. “These moments, though brief, filled us with hope and joy.
Brown suffered a severe brain injury Friday night during a gathering of about 40 people on the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. The night became turbulent at about 11 p.m., when police said they went out to arrest a few people who they said had damaged the department’s gate.
Police said when Brown went to arrest 28-year-old Elijah Gantt, the man ran away. Brown came around a white car, and seconds later, Gantt ran into Brown at full speed, knocking the officer to the ground and falling on top of him.
Gantt was charged with three counts of fourth-degree assault on a special victim, resisting arrest, first-degree assault and property damage. He remained in custody Thursday on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
The GoFundMe campaign created for Brown and his family had raised about $78,000 by mid-morning Thursday.
The family once again thanked the community for its support and compassion and said the love has brought them “intense comfort.”
“While we’ve been told that the road to recovery will be long and challenging, we remain hopeful,” they wrote.
Ferguson police department releases injured officer's body cam footage
WARNING: portions of this video contain graphic images and language. This footage is from Ferguson Police Officer Travis Brown's body worn camera.
Ferguson protester accused of trying to steal cop’s gun, ‘ramming’ head into department wall
The charges stem from a Friday night protest of about 40 people on the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death outside the Ferguson Police Department.
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