Ron Fenton has been celebrated for his long career as a police officer. 85291 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By XAVIER SMERDON
FORMER police officer Ron Fenton literally put his life on the line for his job.
The Werribee resident was shot in the back of the head while on the job 28 years ago after a crazed gunman fired 27 rounds into his patrol car.
“I tried to get out of the car and he saw my head between the pillar of the windscreen and the door and copped me one in the back of the head,” Mr Fenton said.
“When my family arrived they were told I had three hours left.”
But Mr Fenton defied the doctors and after 10 days in a coma and more than three months in rehabilitation, he eventually returned to work.
His shooter received a life sentence and Mr Fenton moved on with his life, even now complaining only of a bit of bad balance and limited movement of his right arm.
A decade later Mr Fenton was back on the job when he slipped and fell down a flight of stairs, breaking his back.
But the police officer fought back again after more time in rehabilitation to once again put on the blue uniform.
“I found out on my birthday in 1995 that I was allowed to go back to work and that was the best birthday present I ever received,” he said.
No stranger to accolades, Mr Fenton received the National Police Medal from Chief Commissioner Ken Lay last Friday for his long service.
After retiring in February, Mr Fenton joked about his 40 year career.
“I’m a disaster looking for a place to occur,” he said.
On a serious note, Mr Fenton is proud of the resilience he has shown.
“I won’t let what other people have done define my life. My life is what I make it out to be,” he said.
“It never occurred to me to give up. You face two choices in life. You can wrap yourself up in cotton wool or you can get on with it.”
