Tarrant County Deputy Brent Brown is out of the hospital after being shot twice last week while working off-duty inside an East Fort Worth credit union.
Brown was released Friday morning after spending nearly two weeks at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.
He's doing great. He's doing awesome.
Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn talking about Deputy Brent Brown's recovery
After his release, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, who has called Brown a hero, delivered a brief statement.
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"Brent is going home. He's recovering greatly," Waybourn said. "He's been through not only the gun battle but he's been through a battle the last few days and his attitude and his perseverance has been just outstanding."
Waybourn said Brown is walking and did a couple of laps Friday morning before being discharged. Brown, who was seated in a car behind the sheriff, left the hospital in a pair of jogging shoes.
When asked when Brown might return to the job, Waybourn joked that he's eager for that moment.
"Well, today's Friday. We'll give him the weekend," Waybourn said, as Brown laughed behind him.
The sheriff said Brown still has "some serious rehab to do," but that the department will be standing beside him to get him through it.
"His tenacity, his perseverance and his attitude should be copied by all of us. He's not letting anything stop him. [He] wore a shirt out this morning that says, 'I'm fighting bears,' and he's going to win. He's going to win."
Jennifer Gabbert, Tarrant County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy, said the community's support has made this journey easier.
"They have just poured out love for them and their prayers and gifts and food and everything that they could do for them in this last week," she said.
Waybourn said he's even gotten calls from across the country during what he calls an "emotional" time for his entire office.
"Yesterday, one particular prayer warrior that called me to want to make sure that [Brown] knew that she was praying for him. And that was none other than Chuck Norris's mama, his 102-year-old mother," Waybourn said.
Brown was shot when a man entered the credit union and told tellers he wanted to open an account. The man then suddenly drew a gun and began firing at the deputy. He ran from the credit union as Brown fired back.
The armed man, later identified as Leland Earl Williams, was charged with attempted capital murder of a peace officer. Williams is currently being held on a $1 million bond. It's not clear if he's obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Brown is a 12-year veteran of the sheriff's department and works in the fugitive division.
