When he was growing up in metro Atlanta, Matias Ferreira attended the 1996 Olympics. That was when he first developed respect for men in uniform, according to a report in liherald.com.
That helped lead Ferreira, a Morrow High graduate, to join the Marines. Although he had both legs amputated below the knee after an incident involving a hidden explosive device in Afghanistan in 2011, Ferreira, 28, is staying in a uniform.
This week, he became a police officer in Suffolk County, N.Y., according to multiple media outlets.
Ferreira, who stands on titanium prosthetics, is believed to be one of the nation's first double amputees to serve as a fully active police officer, Suffolk department spokesman Justin Meyers told Newsday.
“This is someone who served our nation, paid a significant sacrifice, and is now able to overcome adversity in a tremendous way,” Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said. Ferreira completed 29 weeks of training, Newsday reported. He’ll drive a police car and is scheduled to begin patrols next week.
There were no shortcuts for Ferreira, according to Newsday. He ran a mile and a half within the required 12 minutes, 29 seconds and did 38 sit-ups and 29 push-ups.
“I’m just really eager and excited to prove myself to my colleagues in my new job, my new career, that I’m capable of doing the job just as well as somebody with both legs,” Ferreira said. “I don’t think the prosthetics hinder me in any way.”
In fact, he has a sense of humor about his situation.
“A lot of guys are like, ‘What happens if one of your legs break?’ ” he said. “ ‘I’m sorry to say, but if I break my leg, I go in the trunk, I put on a new one. If you break your leg, you’re out for a couple months, my friend.’ ”
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