SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Mark Wright made history Thursday as he became the first motorcycle officer who is an amputee at the San Diego Police Department — and the first such officer in the entire country.
"It's a testament to the department. The fact that they're allowing me the opportunities to prove myself," Wright said. "That's why I love this opportunity to go in front of the camera and just tell other amputees that, don't limit yourself. Our mind is our greatest enemy sometimes."
Wright lost his leg in 2022 when his car struck an abandoned vehicle on Interstate 15 North while he was driving home from work. The accident resulted in the amputation of his left leg.
Despite the life-altering injury, Wright was determined to pursue his dream of becoming a motorcycle officer.
"Me losing my leg, there's a lot of people who thought I was crazy for getting back on the motorcycle," he said.
After completing three weeks of rigorous training, Wright achieved his goal of riding a motorcycle for SDPD. The journey wasn't without challenges.
"Learning the prosthetic, because they weren't able to modify the motorcycle at all. So trying to learn how to shift again with a fake foot was pretty difficult. But again, mind over matter," Wright explained.
Lt. Dan Hall, who oversees the motorcycle unit for the department, praised Wright's determination.
"Everybody has hardships in their life, but this young man ended up taking a catastrophic injury that anyone would think would be catastrophic to their life and did not deviate one iota from his dream," Hall said.
For Wright, this achievement reinforces his belief in human potential.
"I know what I can do, and if it's going to be challenging, all the better. But our mind is our only limit," he said.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
