By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
An Atmore Police Department officer, injured May 23 when a bullet exploded while he was handling a family member’s gun, is apparently on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery.
APD Capt. John Stallworth reported this week that doctors at University Hospital in Mobile had to perform a delicate surgical procedure on one of Officer Reece Marx’s eyes to remove a piece of shrapnel that flew from the exploding ammo and lodged in his retina.
The incident occurred in the early afternoon in Daphne’s Belforest community. Marx, who joined the city police department in July 2019, was not on duty at the time.
The injured officer has since been released from the hospital and is now reportedly recovering at his home, awaiting clearance from his doctor to return to work.
“The surgery went well, and he will apparently make a full recovery,” Stallworth said. “He’s resting up at home now, and we expect that he will be back at work in the near future.”