A Los Angeles Police Department volunteer who was attacked by bees while offering assistance during an outbreak in Encino has returned to duty.
The volunteer, identified only as Gary, was stung anywhere from 50-100 times as he tried to help with traffic control in a residential neighborhood that was actively being terrorized by a swarm of aggressive bees.
On Wednesday, the Police Department announced that Gary was back on duty after an “extended recovery.”
The attack happened in mid-May on the 17100 block of West Adlon Road in Encino.
Gary, an Air Force veteran who has been an LAPD volunteer for nearly 18 years, was attacked by hundreds of aggressive bees as he swatted them away and then fell face-first onto the asphalt. Gary’s son, Daniel, watched the event unfold live on TV.
Daniel described the helplessness he felt as he watched his father bleed from the face and attempt to get away from the bees.
“It was gut-wrenching,” Daniel said in an exclusive interview with KTLA. “I couldn’t even believe it. It looked so painful.”
In the days that followed, an outpouring of support was directed toward Gary after it was revealed he would have to pay for any medical care related to the attack out of pocket. A retiree, Gary was covered by Medicare, but that only covers so much and because he was a volunteer, he didn’t qualify for health insurance through the LAPD.
Ultimately, the Police Department vowed to cover any expenses incurred related to the attack, and thousands of dollars raised through a GoFundMe page were redirected and set to be earmarked to help other volunteers with the LAPD.
After weeks of rehabilitation, including a health scare in late May that saw him hospitalized again for an atrial fibrillation that caused him to briefly pass out, Gary returned to duty.
The Police Department posted a photo of Gary standing beside some of his fellow volunteers, his face full with a wide smile — a far cry from the last time the public saw his face.
Gary’s first day was Wednesday and the LAPD said it was “happy to have you back!”
As for Gary’s fundraiser, donations poured in and his goal was exceeded by nearly $20,000, with more than 600 individual donors.