Colin Ledbetter: Shot in the Line of Duty, Killed, and Brought Back to Life
Mon Feb 02 2026
On this episode of The Brighter Side of Blue, we sit down with Colin Ledbetter, a former St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer whose story defies the odds.
In January 2022, Colin was shot multiple times in the line of duty, suffered catastrophic blood loss, and was clinically dead before doctors were able to bring him back to life. What followed was a brutal fight for survival, countless surgeries, and a recovery doctors called nothing short of a miracle.
Colin takes us inside the moments leading up to the shooting, the chaos that followed, and what he remembers — and doesn’t remember — from the night he nearly lost his life wearing the badge.
This is a raw, emotional, and honest conversation about policing, brotherhood, trauma, and survival — told directly by the man who lived it.
After the interview, we stick around and unpack it the only way we know how: talking about what officers go through every night, the brotherhood that comes with the job, and the way the community shows up when someone gets hurt. We also hit a few side roads (because of course we do): fantasy football punishment talk, some “This Day in History” silliness, and a couple stories that had us laughing even after a heavy conversation.
This episode is the perfect example of what this show is about — real stories, real people, and a community that still knows how to rally around the badge.
Communities that support law enforcement are safer places to live.#TheBrighterSideOfBlue #PolicePodcast #LawEnforcement #TrueCrime #BehindTheBadge #PoliceStories #ColinLedbetter #LineOfDuty
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On this episode of The Brighter Side of Blue, we sit down with Colin Ledbetter, a former St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer whose story defies the odds. In January 2022, Colin was shot multiple times in the line of duty, suffered catastrophic blood loss, and was clinically dead before doctors were able to bring him back to life. What followed was a brutal fight for survival, countless surgeries, and a recovery doctors called nothing short of a miracle. Colin takes us inside the moments leading up to the shooting, the chaos that followed, and what he remembers — and doesn’t remember — from the night he nearly lost his life wearing the badge. This is a raw, emotional, and honest conversation about policing, brotherhood, trauma, and survival — told directly by the man who lived it. After the interview, we stick around and unpack it the only way we know how: talking about what officers go through every night, the brotherhood that comes with the job, and the way the community shows up when someone gets hurt. We also hit a few side roads (because of course we do): fantasy football punishment talk, some “This Day in History” silliness, and a couple stories that had us laughing even after a heavy conversation. This episode is the perfect example of what this show is about — real stories, real people, and a community that still knows how to rally around the badge. Communities that support law enforcement are safer places to live.#TheBrighterSideOfBlue #PolicePodcast #LawEnforcement #TrueCrime #BehindTheBadge #PoliceStories #ColinLedbetter #LineOfDuty