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https://twitter.com/AAdelsonABC36The funeral for Marion County Deputy Anthony Rakes will be Saturday afternoon. 49-year-old Dewayne Shipp has been charged with murdering Rakes.
The news of Rakes' death hit very close to home for a former Lexington police officer.
Edward Lingenfelter says every day is a gift. For many people that's just a cliché, but it's what Lingenfelter lives by.
"He actually had the weapon against my head, and was trying to pull the trigger, but the weapon was jammed. I was two-minutes away from going home. June 21st, 1996, ten-minutes from two and I stopped a drunk driver. A guy that had absolutely nothing to do with my traffic stop decided that night he wanted to kill a police officer, and I was the first police officer he saw that night. More, or less I was ambushed, and left for dead," said Lingenfelter.
He was shot three times. The first bullet hit him in the face.
"It came through this part of my jaw," said Lingenfelter.
He credits fitness and training for surviving. He somehow got up, and made it down the street to headquarters.
"You gotta stay awake. You gotta stay focused. Don't pass out. I didn't lose consciousness, and I think that's part of the reason why I'm still here. I'm lucky, because I'm here, you know, my family still gets to experience me every single day," said Lingenfelter.
He knew Deputy Rakes. Work was quiet on Wednesday.
"There weren't many words spoken after the news was broken to us," said Lingenfelter.
He asks people to respect, honor, and remember Rakes for all the sacrifices he made, not just the ultimate sacrifice.
"Go out and honor Anthony this weekend in a good way, and just don't remember him on the day of his death, remember this man every single day," said Lingenfelter.
He is thankful to be alive, and tries to make the most out of each and every day. He returned to the Lexington Police Department after the shooting, but now works in leadership development at the Department of Criminal Justice Training in Richmond.
