Robert Duffy

Carson City Deputy Josh Stagliano, South Lake Tahoe Police Officer Erik Eissinger, Douglas County Deputy Robert Duffy and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sgt.

Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Duffy, injured nearly five months ago in a shootout at a Gardnerville mobile home park, is back at work.

Deputy Robert Duffy shows his injured hand during an interview at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office on Monday.Duffy returned to work Aug. 22 after being injured nearly five months ago in a shootout.Shannon Litz/Appeal News Service

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Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Duffy, injured nearly five months ago in a shootout at a Gardnerville mobile home park, is back at work.

"It's been a very long and very painful road back," Duffy said Monday."I'm happy the hard work paid off."

Duffy, 31, returned to full-time, modified duty on Aug. 22, assigned to investigations.

On Monday, he was processing evidence.

"I'm learning a lot about evidence," he said."Before, we just put it in the locker."

He was injured April 2 when a suspect being questioned in an early morning traffic stop fired a rifle at him, blowing a silver-dollar-size hole through his left hand.
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Duffy said his surgeon was pleased at how rapidly he is recuperating.

The eight-year veteran of the sheriff's department originally thought it would be a year to 18 months before he could return to work.

"The doctor is really amazed," Duffy said.

He credited his recovery to intensive physical therapy and the support he received from his family, the sheriff's department and the community.

"I am really grateful for the way the department has treated me," he said."There has been nothing but support from the department and the community and especially my wife, Aimee, and the rest of my family."

He suffered a bit of a setback when he ruptured a tendon in his injured hand during physical therapy.

"Think of it as a rubber band attached between your pinkie and the wrist that snapped.It was very disheartening," he said.

As happy as he is to be back at work, Duffy said he is eager to progress even more.

"When I am back on patrol, that'll be the real time to celebrate," he said."That's what I am happy doing."

Duffy said there was some apprehension in returning to work after such a life-threatening incident, but he was ready to deal with it.

"I've ridden around a little bit since I came back.It definitely will be different in the patrol car, but I am ready to face it head on," he said.
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Pierini said Duffy was providing a valuable service to the department.
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Duffy said the one downside at returning to duty was being away from his 13-month-old son, Jacob.

"My first day leaving him was hard," Duffy said."He's my little pal."

Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Duffy, injured nearly five months ago in a shootout at a Gardnerville mobile home park, is back at work.

"It's been a very long and very painful road back," Duffy said Monday."I'm happy the hard work paid off."

Duffy, 31, returned to full-time, modified duty on Aug. 22, assigned to investigations.

On Monday, he was processing evidence.

"I'm learning a lot about evidence," he said."Before, we just put it in the locker."

He was injured April 2 when a suspect being questioned in an early morning traffic stop fired a rifle at him, blowing a silver-dollar-size hole through his left hand.
...
Duffy said his surgeon was pleased at how rapidly he is recuperating.

The eight-year veteran of the sheriff's department originally thought it would be a year to 18 months before he could return to work.

"The doctor is really amazed," Duffy said.

He credited his recovery to intensive physical therapy and the support he received from his family, the sheriff's department and the community.

"I am really grateful for the way the department has treated me," he said."There has been nothing but support from the department and the community and especially my wife, Aimee, and the rest of my family."

He suffered a bit of a setback when he ruptured a tendon in his injured hand during physical therapy.

"Think of it as a rubber band attached between your pinkie and the wrist that snapped.It was very disheartening," he said.

As happy as he is to be back at work, Duffy said he is eager to progress even more.

"When I am back on patrol, that'll be the real time to celebrate," he said."That's what I am happy doing."

Duffy said there was some apprehension in returning to work after such a life-threatening incident, but he was ready to deal with it.

"I've ridden around a little bit since I came back.It definitely will be different in the patrol car, but I am ready to face it head on," he said.
...
Pierini said Duffy was providing a valuable service to the department.
...
Duffy said the one downside at returning to duty was being away from his 13-month-old son, Jacob.

"My first day leaving him was hard," Duffy said."He's my little pal."

Deputy Robert Duffy, injured nearly five months ago in a shootout at a Gardnerville mobile home park, is back at work at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

"It's been a very long and very painful road back," Duffy said Monday."I'm happy the hard work paid off."

Duffy, 31, returned to full-time, modified duty on Aug. 22, assigned to investigations.

On Monday, he was processing evidence.

"I'm learning a lot about evidence," he said."Before, we just put it in the locker."

He was injured April 2 when a suspect being questioned in an early morning traffic stop fired a rifle at him, blowing a silver-dollar-sized hole through his left hand.
...
Duffy said his surgeon was pleased at how rapidly he is recuperating.

The eight-year veteran of the sheriff's department originally thought it would be a year to 18 months before he could return to work.

"The doctor is really amazed," Duffy said.

He credited his recovery to intensive physical therapy and the support he received from his family, the sheriff's department and the community.

"I am really grateful for the way the department has treated me," he said."There has been nothing but support from the department and the community and especially my wife Aimee and the rest of my family."

He suffered a bit of a setback when he ruptured a tendon in his injured hand during physical therapy.

"Think of it as a rubber band attached between pinkie and the wrist that snapped.It was very disheartening," he said.

As happy as he is to be back at work, Duffy said he is eager to get back to patrol.

"When I am back on patrol, that'll be the real time to celebrate," he said."That's what I am happy doing."

Duffy said there was some apprehension in returning to work after such a life-threatening incident, but he was ready to deal with it.

"I've ridden around a little bit since I came back.It definitely will be different in the patrol car, but I am ready to face it head on," he said.
...
Pierini said Duffy was providing a valuable service to the department.
...
Duffy said the one downside at returning to duty was being away from his 13-month-old son Jacob.

"My first day leaving him was hard," Duffy said."He's my little pal."

Petri was the right front passenger in a white Chevrolet pickup traveling on Highway 395 at about 4:15 a.m. when it was spotted by Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Duffy.
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Duffy turned on his emergency lights after he saw it was driving erratically, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

That traffic stop set into motion events that would leave Petri dead and Duffy injured by the end of the morning.

Court records and Petri's family agree that he was no stranger to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.Petri had been arrested for driving under the influence, alternative sentencing violations, attempts to elude officers and possession of marijuana during the 11 years he lived in Carson Valley.

During that time, he held jobs at the Pizza Barn, worked as a janitor at Kirkwood Ski Resort or helped his father install floors.

He once told a justice of the peace he dropped out of school in the seventh grade.

Shots fired

Early Saturday morning, the white pickup took Petri within a few feet of his home as Duffy followed it into the mobile home park.
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Duffy, surprised by Petri's action radioed for backup and instructions, as he took the other two occupants of the pickup into custody with a deputy who arrived shortly after he did.
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Outside, Duffy and the other deputy had just finished handcuffing the other two occupants of the pickup when seven shots came out of the dark at them.Because of the close quarters inside the mobile home park, deputies could not tell where the shots came from.Most of the bullets hit an unoccupied mobile home behind the deputies.Both officers took cover behind their vehicles, but at some point Duffy darted out from behind his car and radioed that he had been hit.
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Mezzetta said Duffy had disappeared into the darkness and could not be accounted for.
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Duffy was located by medical personnel near the entrance of Kingslane and was taken to Washoe Medical Center where he is recovering from surgery to save his finger.

Parallel investigations into the incident are being conducted by both the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office.

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