MIAMI (WSVN) - The City of Miami Police Department is hosting a blood drive for one of their officers who was injured.
The officer was off duty when he was critically injured in a motorcycle crash Sunday.
Officers lined up at the Miami Police Department on Wednesday morning to help their fellow officer, Mario Gonzalez.
“Every day he put on that uniform, he put it on with pride,” said Miami Police Officer Kenia Fallat.
The 37-year-old is a husband and father of two girls.
“From day one, we have been by his family’s side, round-the-clock, and whatever they need, we’ve been there for them,” said Fallat.
Gonzalez has undergone several surgeries and has yet to open his eyes since the crash.
“When he opens his eyes, he’s going to realize that the family in blue has been with him and will be with him every step of the way,” said Fallat.
His fellow officers want to make sure he feels the love and support they have for him, as well as from the community.
City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez was among the first in line to donate blood.
He described Gonzalez as a generous, hardworking man who cares about the community.
“I’m here to donate blood for one of our officers, Mario Gonzalez, who is a friend. He’s someone who served in the area that I represented as a Commissioner, so I got to know him then,” said Suarez. “He’s a great, great family man, someone who works really hard to keep our community safe and unfortunately suffered a tremendous tragedy on Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday when I got the call, so I was there with him and his family, and unfortunately, he’s had to undergo multiple surgeries since then, and so we’re here donating blood to him and supporting him and his family.”
Two other blood drives are going on simultaneously to help Officer Gonzalez including one at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus and the other at the Miami-Dade Police Department in Doral, which will continue until 9 p.m.
The blood drive and Miami Police HQ continues until 6 p.m.
There is also a GoFundMe page set up to help raise funds for his road to recovery.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.