Officer walks on his own after shooting

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) - Anderson Police Officer Marty Dulworth is beating the odds.

Less than five months after a bullet ripped apart his left foot , he is walking again. The police officer is confident he will return to light duty in early January.

A large black custom boot protects the foot that doctors helped save. Four days a week, Dulworth rips that boot off to work out at his local rehab center. Just two weeks ago the process of getting up and moving around required Dulworth to take baby steps.

Not anymore. He's walking on his own again.

“A good workout here at PT, it gets me loose and I can have a pretty productive day after I leave here,” said Dulworth.

Under the careful watch of a physical therapist, Dulworth spends 2-3 hours each visit to strengthen his foot, his leg, his body and his mind.

“He's going through a lot of re-training and re-gaining strength back through his entire core, through his lower extremity, adding more motion into his ankle. All those things we are working on a daily basis,” said Dawn McCurley, clinical director at ATI Physical Therapy in Anderson.

A man with an AK-47 shot Dulworth and his K-9 partner, Kilo, in a Pendleton neighborhood on the night of July 26 .

Kilo had to be put down.

Dulworth had to be rushed to the ER for extensive surgeries. The AK-47 bullet destroyed most of the bones and tissue. Doctors used metal screws and plates to replace the bones.

Saving the foot required an extra step.

During an October doctor's visit , Dulworth shared how a surgeon had removed muscles and blood vessels from his stomach and attached them to his foot. The blood vessels in the muscle help feed the foot.

The operation was so successful, Dulworth says he's back on his feet, walking on his own, weeks ahead of schedule.

“I'm going to return as normal as I possibly can considering my injury,” said Dulworth.

To get there will require intensive daily workouts. He doesn't mind.

“My goal: I'll be back working on the street by April. That's my goal.”