NYPD officer shot in the leg in Mott Haven released from hospital

MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- The NYPD officer shot in the leg in the Bronx earlier this month was released from the hospital Thursday morning.

New York City Police Officer Sherrod Stuart left the Hospital for Special Surgery Thursday, where he had been recovering following surgery after the January 9 shooting.

A fragment of a 9mm bullet was recovered from Stuart's lower leg. It is believed to have been fired by a fellow officer and possibly ricocheted off the ground before striking the officer.

Stuart was shot while pursuing a suspect, who he managed to shoot while returning fire. Christopher Rice, 19, is now charged with assault on a police officer, menacing and criminal possession.

After three surgeries and nearly two weeks in the hospital, Stuart headed home wearing a smile and a boot-like cast to protect his gunshot wound.

There was no shortage of family and friends around him: five brothers, three sisters, and many friends from the 40th Precinct.

We spoke exclusively Thursday with the officer's mother about what lies ahead. "Has he said he's going back to work?", we asked Donna Stuart. "Oh definitely!! He's going back..my son is not gonna let this stop him, he's a go getter!", she said.

It was back on January 9th, the 25-year old anti-crime unit officer along with many others responded to a huge street fight.

5 were stabbed, numerous weapons were recovered from the scene, and then Donna Stuart got a phone call in the middle of the night.

But because she has 6 sons and Sherrod's dad is in the military, she wasn't even sure who was hurt at first.

"It's like, you have tunnel vision and you're just walking through like it's a movie or something," she said.

The night Officer Stuart was shot in the South Bronx, the crime scene was chaotic and immense. And ballistics now shows that the bullet that injured officer Stuart came from another officer's gun.

"We're a God fearing family," said Donna Stuart. "We forgive. It wasn't done purposely, it happens, it was friendly fire."

The family gave us video showing Officer Stuart in the days after he was injured, working through re-hab.

"He's pretty tough. Like for most people in that situation, people would've really caved. He's really tough," said the officer's girlfriend Claudia Victorio.

"The pain, it's bearable now at this point, with all the support he's getting," said the officer's friend Angel Camacho.

Officer Stuart was wounded on his 4-year-anniversary with the department. But his family is promising his career is far from over.

Earlier this month, his mother spoke to Eyewitness News and expressed her gratitude over his survival.

"I thank God that my son is alive and well and doing well," Donna Stuart said. "He's young. He's 25. He'll bounce back. It will take some time. He'll get therapy. But he's young and in good health."