ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando police officer seriously and permanently injured during a 2015 traffic stop was granted his pension Thursday.
William Anderson, who had planned to spend his life as a police officer, had his world turned upside down when he pulled over a car full of teenagers on July 13, 2015.
Off duty at the time, Anderson pulled the car over after receiving a report of gunfire in the area.
Instead of obeying his orders, the driver of the car ran Anderson over, causing him to suffer severe spinal, head and neck injuries.
The dashcam in Anderson’s police cruiser recorded the entire incident.
[ Photos: Officer William Anderson and family ]
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While he was happy to receive his pension, the former officer mourned the loss of his career with the Orlando Police Department.
“It was something I always wanted to do and I enjoyed doing it,” he said.
Since the July 2015 incident, Anderson has suffered brain damage and said he has difficulty with memory and concentration.
[ Raw video: Former OPD officer William Anderson receives full disability pension ]
“Our whole life has been turned upside down for the past year and a half,” Anderson’s wife, Jessica, said. “He’s permanently disabled. That’s not something you anticipate in your mid-30s.”
While the pension will only pay a portion of what Anderson would have received after 20 years on the force, it is still a relief to have the extra income, he said.
“Trying to get medical care, doctor visits approved, bills paid, it’s just a relief knowing I’ll have this from here on out,” Anderson said.
The Andersons are currently working on federal legislation that would help other members of law enforcement who are injured in the line of duty.
“For us to be able to make sure other officers and families don’t go through what we’ve gone through, I mean, I would never wish this on our worst enemy,” Jessica Anderson said.