Officer’s ‘calling’ brings her back early after attack

WARREN — Patrol officer Krystal Legendre was available for questions at the Christopher M. Wouters Police Headquarters on Aug. 2, marking her first day back after recovering from head and spinal injuries incurred while in the line of duty.

Responding to a fight in progress and a malicious destruction of property complaint at Lincoln High School on April 22, Legendre, along with other officers, arrived on the scene. Legendre was arresting an adult male who, according to her, she and her partner saw punching someone.

“At that point in time, people from the crowd chose to interfere, and I was struck from behind, knocked to the ground, and the (suspect) stomped on my neck several times,” Legendre said.

The patrol officer was taken to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with a concussion and a spine injury. Two weeks later, she had cervical spine surgery and had a full disc replacement.

The 35-year-old officer and Warren resident for nearly a decade credits her work ethic, determination, her family, the Warren Police Department and police departments everywhere, and the community for her early recovery. Originally, she was slated to return six months after surgery, in November or December.

Legendre wore a cervical collar for six weeks and was not allowed to lift, bend, twist, push or pull anything, she said.

“Basically, I was stuck to sit and not use my neck,” Legendre said. After that she started physical therapy, which she did several times a week.

“Recovery, it’s hard,” said the three-year veteran. “It’s the mental will to want to come back and do this. I used to tell myself every day, it’s not a personal attack, just a senseless one.”

“I was told that if I stayed dedicated to a plan that I could return (to work) sooner than originally expected,” Legendre added.

The Warren Police Department is glad to have Legendre back on duty, according to Acting Police Commissioner Charles Rushton.

“The men and women of the Warren Police Department are a family. Any time one of our family members gets injured, we are all affected. Initially, none of us believed Officer Legendre would be able to return to work in such a quick amount of time given the type of injuries she suffered during this senseless assault.” Rushton said in a written statement. “The fact that Officer Legendre was hospitalized trying to break up a fight at a high school shows the potential dangers officers face every day.”

“I learned that I have a lot larger family than I realized,” Legendre said when responding to what she learned from this experience. “I don’t just have this department. I don’t just have my personal family. I have the support of the community, my city hall, (and) other police departments. The family just doesn’t stop here, it extends so much bigger.”

What’s next for the officer who grew up in Roseville?

“I’m going back to the road I love to work,” Legendre said. “Go back out there, do what I do every day. Make connections with the community, see who I can help and hopefully one day seek out promotion within this department.”

“I really won’t do anything differently. None of this is personal to me. This is my job that I do every day. I take the risk. Officers take the risk,” said Legendre when asked what she learned from the experience and what if anything would she do differently. “We can have serious injuries like this every day. For me, this was a calling. I already spent a few years outside in the business world and I chose to come do this. What I’ve learned is I’ll keep doing it. I’m never going to stop.”

Legendre further elaborated about her passion for law enforcement.

“I love what I do. I love serving the community. I love being out here,” Legendre said. “I wouldn’t trade this job for the world.”

Three suspects ranging in age from 17 to 18 were charged with felonies in a related case that is now pending in Macomb County Circuit Court.