Description

What happens in the seconds after you hear “shots fired, officer down”?

A 23-year-old police officer is shot in the back of the head while on duty, and his brothers andsisters rush to save him. This is his story of service, survival, and recovery.

In Officer Down – The Hidden Cost Behind the Oath, Anthony DiPonzio delivers a powerfullaw enforcement memoir that places readers inside the split second that changes his life true crime reality with deeply personal reflection, this firsthand survival story revealsthe physical, emotional, and professional cost of wearing the badge.

On a cold January afternoon in Rochester, New York, a routine patrol call turns into an collapses in the middle of a city street as fellow officers enter an active kill zone to pull himto safety. They make a life-or-death decision to transport him to the hospital themselves ratherthan wait for an ambulance. That decision saves his life.

He survives despite overwhelming medical odds, but survival is only the beginning. Throughfragmented memories, raw honesty, and firsthand accounts from the officers who stand besidehim, DiPonzio recounts his fight to recover from traumatic brain injury and the challenge ofrebuilding identity after the career he loves is taken from him.

Positioned for readers of police memoirs, first responder survival stories, and inspirational trueaccounts of courage under fire, this book offers an authentic insider perspective on what “officerdown” truly means and what it takes to rise again.

Author: Anthony Diponzio
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Published: 5/8/2026
Pages: 206
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.8 lbs
Size: 9.25″ H x 7.5″ L x 0.44″ W
ISBN: 9781665792516