Phoenix Officer Tyler Moldovan undergoes surgery after fall, wife says

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Phoenix Police Officer Tyler Moldovan, who was shot in the line of duty nearly three years ago, is continuing his road to recovery after a scary incident this week.

In an update on Instagram, Moldovan’s wife, Chelsea, shared that the officer fell, causing a fracture in his femur. Chelsea says while the fall wasn’t bad, it was enough to sustain an injury that needed surgery.

“As the obvious, this does create a setback in recovery and has bummed us out,” Chelsea posted on Instagram. “While we endure this, we know God is with us and for us.”

Chelsea says her husband was resting and not in distress as they waited for the surgery. He was scheduled to undergo surgery at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Around 9:30 a.m., Chelsea posted that the surgery went smoothly, and no infections, clots or complications are expected to arise. In addition, Moldovan won’t have any new nerve pain.

Police say Officer Moldovan was shot eight times, including once to the head, on Dec. 14, 2021. Moldovan was a rookie at the time and was responding to reports of a suspect, Essa Williams, speeding and doing “donuts” near 19th Avenue and Camelback Road. Williams then opened fire on Moldovan.

He was released from the hospital and spent months in rehab before finally returning home.

Since being released, Moldovan has continued to remain active in the community. He was honored during the Phoenix Suns first responders night and also attended a firefighter graduation ceremony for his brother, Mathew. Last year, he even threw out the first pitch at the D-backs home opener.

Williams is awaiting trial in Maricopa County Superior Court for the shooting of Officer Moldovan.

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