The Denver police sergeant whose leg was seriously injured during the Nuggets’ NBA championship parade in June had the limb amputated last week, department officials confirmed Monday.
Sgt. Justin Dodge was in front of a fire truck carrying Denver Nuggets players during the June 15 parade, trying to protect paradegoers who had moved onto the street, when the truck rolled over his left leg, Denver police Chief Ron Thomas said during a news conference that afternoon.
Dodge went into surgery that day, but Denver Health Medical Center emergency room chief Dr. Stephen Wolf said during the news conference that Dodge’s injuries could threaten his leg.
A Denver Police Department spokesperson said in an email Tuesday that Dodge underwent a below-the-knee amputation and skin grafting procedure last week and was released from the hospital Monday night.
He is continuing to recover at home, the spokesperson said.
A website in Dodge’s name, sgtjustindodge.com, was created to raise support for Dodge and his family and links to a donation page created by the Denver Police Foundation.
A spokesperson for the Denver Police Foundation said they are not the organizers of the fundraiser, just the vehicle to accept donations on behalf of Dodge’s family.
The donation website also lists an event called the GI and No-GI Seminar scheduled at the National Western Complex on Aug. 27 to help support Dodge’s recovery efforts.
“We cannot express how full our hearts are with the love, support, prayers and concern that has been shown to our family,” the Dodge family said in a message on the donation page. “Despite how trying the last several weeks have been, it is only when we think about this outpouring of concern that we have been overtaken and overwhelmed with emotion and gratefulness. While a thank you is not sufficient to repay your kindness, thank you, nonetheless.”
The Denver police spokesperson said sgtjustindodge.com and the Denver Police Foundation’s donation page are the only donation websites authorized by the family.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
