TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper, who was shot in the face while responding to a domestic call, is now speaking publicly about the moment that nearly cost him his life — and the recovery that followed.
Trooper Adam Ellis was critically injured during a domestic disturbance call in Carbondale, last November. For weeks, details about his condition were limited as he underwent treatment and recovery.
Now back on the job, Ellis is sharing what he remembers from that day.
“Really, everything, I, for better or worse, I never blacked out. I never passed out, or went in shock,” Ellis said in his first interview with Nexstar Kansas Capitol Bureau Chief Rebekah Chung.
He said he quickly realized the seriousness of his injuries but remained focused on surviving.
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“I remember right after the initial shots were fired, knowing that I was hurt, knowing I was hit, but also knowing that I needed to keep going,” Ellis said. “I had an internal voice tell me you’re not going to die. I knew I was injured. I knew it was serious. But I also knew in the back of my head and my heart that I was going to be okay.”
Ellis underwent months of recovery, including extensive facial reconstruction. He said the physical injuries were significant, but the mental recovery was also a challenge.
“Mainly, I was telling myself, Just don’t go in shock. Don’t lay down and just trying to understand the moment as much as possible and react the way I need to react, get behind, cover and do what needed to be done to make sure the threat was over,” he said, recounting the seconds after he was shot.
During his recovery, Ellis said his faith played a key role in helping him move forward.
“Just I knew that I had been put here to do something, and my grandfather always told me that God never gives you more than you can handle,” Ellis said. “And I just know that I was put in that situation because I could handle the injury, I could handle the recovery, and I could handle a return.”
Ellis fully returned to duty on March 5 and he said returning to the job was never in question.
“It’s a calling, it’s what I was put on this earth to do,” Ellis said. “I came into this career a little bit later in life. I had worked in the automotive industry for a long time, but I’d always been pulled to this and it was purposeful that I was there on that day.”
Ellis said his experience underscores how quickly situations can escalate for law enforcement officers.
“I think it’s really important for not just officers, but the public to know that you don’t get a say in everything,” he said. “People can make all the right decisions every single day, but there’s always somebody else that has a say in how things go. And as a police officer, we always have to just be ready for that.”
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