Officer recounts her Brush with Death 20 Years Later

A local member of the Madison County Sheriff's Department recounts her near death encounter from over 20 years ago

Major Michelle Mehr’s story is one of many chronicled in a new book. She sat down with nbc 39's Jackson Overstreet.

We do want to warn viewers that some of the video may be graphic

"As I went to arrest this individual, he spun around and hit me in the face and proceed to beat me." Says Michelle Mehr,

Those were the last thoughts Mehr would have before she slipped into a weeklong coma. Major Michelle Mehr of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department was brutally assaulted while at a routine traffic stop almost 21 years ago while working as a police officer in East Texas.

Mehr says her attacker left for dead by her assailant on the side of the road with major damage to the left side of her face. By the time paramedics arrived, she was given a slim chance of making it to the hospital

Mehr says, “They basically gave me a five percent chance to survive the helicopter flight to get to Shreveport, LA.”

She arrived at the hospital in a coma, which would last six days. Doctors told her family that she would need to be in the hospital for at least six to eight months and at least six weeks until she could have surgery

But then something miraculous happened. She tells NBC39 News, “ comes around to the fourth day, the surgeon who was an ear nose and throat specialist comes in and tells my family that they’re going to take me back for surgery, they said hey, I thought you said it was going to be 6-8 weeks and he said she’s ready.”

Four days after the surgery, she was released from the hospital. Two months later she made her return to duty as an officer

Mehr says she was eager to return to her job but had become more aware of the dangers of her job from the incident

I was a little more cautious of people and their action, it heightened my awareness about just how people can snap in seconds

In the twenty plus years since the incident Mehr says she has since forgiven her assailant

“Yes, I forgive him because I am firm believer in everything happens for a reason. It did happen, and it made me who I am today,” Mehr said.

Mehr's story of miraculous recovery is featured in a book by Irlene Mandrell, titled god rains miracles.

Both Mehr and Mandrell will be at Trinity Christian academy on Friday, January 26th from 2:00pm – 6:00pm for a book signing with majority of the proceeds going back to the school