Asheboro, NC -- The two Randolph County Sheriff's Office deputies who were shot in the line of duty in August were honored during a ceremony on Thursday afternoon.
Deputy Ed Slafky and Det. Jonathan Chriscoe were presented plaques by veterans from the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The two were shot near Hwy. 220 on Aug. 27 during a traffic stop.
"I don't want to be cliche and say I've had a near-death experience and now the little things in life [matter more]," Slafky said, "but it's true. It's brought my wife and I closer. It's brought my children closer -- my whole family."
Both men say the shooting was life-changing, and they seek to get more out of life each day.
"Life's too short," Chriscoe said. He's learned to "cherish every minute of it."
Investigators say Det. Chriscoe spotted a car that officers thought was involved with some breaking and entering cases. They found 36-year-old Jamey Lee Ashley inside it, who they were also looking for in association with some breaking and enterings.
According to the Sheriff's Office, at some point after Slafky arrived to back up Chriscoe, Ashley started shooting with a .40 caliber Glock. One deputy was able to fire back, investigators say, but he missed Ashley.
After an hours-long manhunt, officers tracked down Ashley and arrested him. He's in the Randolph County Jail under a $5 million bond and facing a slew of charges, including two counts of attempted murder.
Chriscoe returned to work several weeks ago. Slafky, who was still in a wheelchair up until recently due to injuries to his tibia, hopes to be back on light duty by December.
WFMY News 2