VIDEO: Injured OH Officer Returns to Patrol After 7 Years

Columbus, OH, Police Officer Michael Shannon returned to patrol work at the 19th precinct Tuesday afternoon to the sound of bagpipes blaring. The day was significant for Shannon, 41, who had not worked patrol for nearly seven years after he was shot in the line of duty. And Columbus police had a welcoming party for him to mark the occasion, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

"I'm ready to go back to work," he told a group of reporters before beginning his patrol of the Hilltop area.

On March 13, 2010, a man he was pursuing at a Far West Side apartment complex opened fire on him. He nearly lost a leg when a bullet shattered the femur.

"I knew I could come back," he said. "Injuries don't stop you. You can get through anything you want to. You just have to put your mind to it."

Shannon has worn out about seven to eight pairs of crutches. He's been in and out of hospitals with nine surgeries on his leg. He worked light-duty assignments helping at the police academy until he was able to go back to patrol.

The man who shot Officer Shannon is serving a 17-year prison sentence.