SOUR LAKE, Texas — Monday night quickly turned chaotic at the J & R Market in Sour Lake when an officer was 'brutally beaten' by a suspect investigators say is from Kentucky.
Some say the attack has brought the city closer together.
Sour Lake's Mayor Bruce Robinson told 12News he's never experienced something like this.
"It was a brutal beating," Robinson said.
He said he's still in disbelief about what happened to Officer William 'Bill' McKeon Monday Night
Robinson visited officer McKeon in the hospital, and says the attack left his face almost unrecognizable.
"I got to see him in the unit he was in and I actually thought he got shot in the head, he looked that bad," Robinson said.
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He believes it's a miracle no one else at the store was hurt.
"I got mixed emotions, I hate that he got the unit, but I would rather him got the unit and drove off then end of killing somebody there," Robinson said.
After Officer McKeon was taken to by air to St. Elizabeth in Beaumont, Mayor Robinson rushed to the hospital to show his support.
"I felt like someone needed to represent the city, and be there for him with this bad thing and I think I got out of there about 2 o'clock," Robinson said.
McKeon served four years with the Sour Lake Police Department and before that worked as a deputy for the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
April Arena says McKeon was known by many in the community as kind and easy going.
"It's terrible," Arena said of Monday night's events.
Many called him Mr. Bill.
While on patrol, Arena said he would frequently stop by her home to see how she was doing.
"Bill's a good guy, and I hate to have seen this happen to him," Arena said. "I've known him ever since he had been here, really good guy."
"He's easy going, just a good person all around," Arena said.
Robinson says all the city can do now is show the family how much they care.
"They know how much we care about them. They have my number, they can call me anytime of day," Arena said.
Sour Lake Police officer severely injured
