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Barely a week after his Washington State Patrol (WSP) cruiser was rammed in eastern Washington by a suspect who later shot him several times in the face, Trooper Dean Atkinson Jr. continues to recover at , where he was airlifted after driving himself to a Walla Walla hospital.

What followed was a phone call every parent of a first responder fears, the trooper鈥檚 dad, Dean Atkinson Sr., told The Dori Monson Show.

鈥淭hat call I had — ‘Dean鈥檚 been shot’ 鈥� that鈥檚 all I had,鈥� Atkinson Sr. recalled. “I did everything I could to hold it together.”

The recently retired firefighter alerted his wife to get into the car and race to Providence St. Mary鈥檚 Medical Center soon after receiving the call. En route, the trooper鈥檚 parents had to call their son鈥檚 fianc茅e.

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鈥淲hen we got to the hospital, I saw firefighters, police officers 鈥� everybody came to the hospital,鈥� Atkinson Sr. told Dori, choking back tears.

The Walla Walla dad later learned from authorities that his son鈥檚 injuries allegedly came after a run-in with suspect Brandon Dennis O鈥橬eel, 37. O鈥橬eel has since been charged with ramming Atkinson Jr.鈥檚 WSP car before striking the trooper with at least five rounds. One bullet wounded the trooper鈥檚 lower jaw; another exited behind his eardrum.

The trooper’s progress, his father said, 鈥渋s a complete miracle.鈥�

鈥淲e don鈥檛 know how, but his eyes are open and he鈥檚 talking to us,鈥� Atkinson Sr. described to Dori.

How, Dori wondered, did his son get to be so tough to drive himself to the ER?

鈥淚t鈥檚 not so much tough,鈥� Atkinson Sr. said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always been compassionate. He鈥檚 not an ‘I’ guy; he鈥檚 a ‘we’ guy … He鈥檚 blown away by the support,鈥� being shown for him on both sides of the state.

Atkinson Sr. told Dori he believes what drove his son to focus on saving his own life was his tattoo.

鈥淗e got a tattoo on his inner bicep right after he went into law enforcement,鈥� the trooper鈥檚 dad said. 鈥淚t says ‘Always Come Home’ in cursive with a blue line through it. I think that kid has that in his mind every time he goes to work. After the gunfire, he had that in his mind.鈥�

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And what about when he鈥檚 released from the hospital? Dori asked.

WSP has told him that 鈥渋f he chooses, there will be a new patrol car in his driveway when he gets home,鈥� Atkinson Sr. said. 鈥淗e wants to continue to serve his community.鈥�

Listen to Dori Monson weekday afternoons from noon 鈥� 3 p.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.