Deputy Bradley Coleman isshown in this photo. He is recovering in Tyler after being shot Saturday in Palestine. There is a GoFundMe page set up to assist Coleman and his family.

Deputy Bradley Coleman was lying on the ground, a fatal amount of blood coming out of his upper thigh from a gunshot wound, as the shooter stole his patrol car and left him for dead.

Coleman, a deputy sheriff with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, was able to muster the energy to call for help Saturday afternoon.

That’s when the statement “we got your 6” came into play. The statement, originated in the military for pilots under enemy fire, means to have your back. The term is now used by law enforcement during an incident, a reassurance when someone has your “6.”

One of Coleman’s co-workers came to his aid, and seconds later two troopers from the Department of Public Safety arrived to control the bleeding before EMTs arrived. Coleman was then airlifted to a hospital in Tyler.

Today, Coleman is recovering from two surgeries in the intensive care unit.

“He is stable, and he is improving,” said Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor.

“By the grace of God and the brave acts of a couple troopers, deputies and EMS, their actions not only saved his leg, but saved his life … he could have lost his wife.”

As one set of first responders worked on Coleman, the shooter, Terry Lee Countryman, caused more issues, ramming a Palestine Police Department vehicle with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office’s car he stole, the DPS said.

With the sheriff’s car disabled, Countryman stole an SUV and crashed that as well, finding himself in the woods with a trooper. The DPS said when he raised the stolen rifle from the patrol car and pointed it at the trooper, the trooper shot with his service weapon and killed Countryman.

“From the Palestine Police Department, to my deputies, DPS, the EMTs and everyone involved, I can’t thank them enough,” said Taylor. “The outpouring of support from the community, other agencies, county employees and other deputies has been overwhelming to assist the family. I also want to thank everyone who has reached out to us and kept him in their prayers.”

A GoFundMe page online has been started by one of Coleman’s co-workers (www.gofundme.com/f/colman6) to raise money for the family.

The page said Coleman is expected to have several more surgeries. His family flew in from out of state to be with him. Taylor is not releasing which hospital Coleman is recovering in.

When asked if he would be able to walk and return to work, Taylor said, “Lord willing he will and the doctors think so at some point.”

Coleman, who has been with the sheriff’s office for five years, never dealt with Countryman in the past, but Countryman was a “known suspect” to police, Taylor said.

Countryman served prison time for drug offenses and was released about a year ago.

Looking at some of the hatred toward Countryman on social media and in the press, Taylor said the public needs to remember Countryman has a family.

“He tried to kill my deputy and law enforcement officers, but that’s it … he’s dead. He has a mama, he has a family and we pray for the suspect’s family as well,” said Taylor.

The bravery of Coleman was something else that impressed Taylor.

“Deputy Coleman was on his toes and he was outstanding in this incident, he was wounded yet he truly acted heroically and courageously throughout until the end. I can’t think of anyone acting any braver than he did.”

Taylor said the shooting is a reminder how dangerous life can be for those in law enforcement.

“Nothing is routine, you can go to sheer terror in a matter of seconds,” Taylor said. “It was a horrific thing … It’s a reminder to us, yes we know every day we might not go home, but we really don’t think about it, it’s something we do. You never want to go through it, but when it does, it’s very tough on an agency and it hits home what a dangerous job this is.”

Taylor is also thinking of the other agencies who went through the violence.

“Palestine officers were involved in the gun battle and with the vehicle, and of course, DPS performed heroically with outstanding valor to put this to an end,” Taylor added.