'It's a calling': Warren police officer returns to work after severe injuries from assault

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Warren police officer sustained severe injuries after being assaulted on the job last April.

Krystal Legendre is sharing her experience and why it was so important to her to go back to work.

"None of this is personal to me - this is my job that I do every day," she said. "I take the risk, officers take the risk."

They took the risk on April 22, responding to a massive fight at Lincoln High School and arrested a suspect.

"At that point in time people from the crowd chose to interfere and I was struck from behind, knocked to the ground, and kicked and stomped on my neck several times," she said.

Three suspects were arrested by police. Meanwhile, Officer Krystal Legendre was severely injured and needed spinal surgery.

"The first six weeks I was in a cervical collar - I wasn’t allowed to lift, bend, twist, push, pull, anything," she said. "I basically had to sit and not move my neck."

Then after several weeks of intense physical therapy, Legendre returned to work on August 2nd - months earlier than originally anticipated.

"I had one goal in mind and that was always to return to work," she said. "The first day out of surgery I asked my surgeon 'When can I go back to work?'"

The officer says her strong will and determination helped in her recovery.

"I wanted to be back here with my people, my partners," she said. "Back on the road and serving and protecting the community I live in."

The idea of changing careers after her injury was never a thought for Legendre.

"For me this was a calling," she said. "I already spent a few years outside in the business world and I chose to come do this.

"I’m never going to stop - I love what I do. I have no intention of every giving it up. Yes, I was injured, yes it was serious, but it’s not going to stop me."

Warren Police Officer Krystal Legendre.