GOLDEN BEACH, Fla. – Golden Beach police Sgt. Joseph Bautista is home recovering after being shot while on duty last week.
“I am just beyond grateful that (God) gave us a second opportunity,” he said Wednesday.
Bautista and his wife, Nancy, have been married for eight years and have two young children.
“An opportunity to cherish each other and enjoy our little kids as we continue to see them growing,” Nancy Bautista said.
The love of a police officer and his wife has a newfound appreciation.
There is always a feeling of relief when a police officer returns home from a day on duty, which Nancy Bautista did not get on Saturday.
“He leaves every night to work and you give a kiss, it’s not just a kiss of goodbye, it’s a kiss that I hope to see you back home,” she said.
Joseph Bautista was shot while chasing a suspected car thief.
Police said the suspect bailed out of his car and shot Bautista in the arm. Two people were arrested soon after and Bautista was rushed to the hospital.
“After I dressed the wound, I said, ‘How am I going to hide this from my wife? She’s going to kill me,’ but no, it went through my mind,” he said. “Everything I do is for them.”
Joseph Bautista works the overnight shift. Every night when he leaves his house, the family says a prayer.
“We pray that (God) protects him,” said Nancy Bautista. “Now they are praying for him to heal daddy and take that person to prison.”
Golden Beach has had numerous cases of stolen cars and car burglaries. Joseph Bautista said the crimes need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“The consequences are not fitting the crime at all,” he said.
The focus now is healing, and in that, embracing the feeling of gratitude for the community’s support.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Joseph Bautista. “I’m grateful for health and for the blessing of another day.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses while Bautista is recovering, and that page can be found by clicking here.