Injured officers join forces to form the Wisconsin Injured Law Enforcement Officers Resource Council

In the winter of 2009, Brookfield Officer Paul Dilger was struck and injured by a hit and run driver.

He would never recover to the extent that he could return to the force. At times when he struggled he reached out to Michael Doud, a former Waukesha County Sheriff's Deputy who faced a similar challenge.

Dilger went two years without a salary until he was approved for duty disability.

He told CBS 58's Michele McCormack the worst part was not being able to be a police officer which is more than a job to most who join the force.

\"When you lose that, you lose a part of yourself. You lose a part of your identity,\" Dilger explained.  

Dilger and Doud quickly realized that there were other officers out there, facing the same problems and not getting the adequate financial and emotional support they needed.

\"It began as just hanging out at the house and supporting Paul,\" Doud recalled. \"There is no type of support group of this kind.\"

So, they formed the Wisconsin Injured Law Enforcement Officers Resource Council, the first such group of its kind in the state.

Both men were special live guests on the CBS 58 News at 4:30 p.m.

The public's support is vital for a better understanding of the difficulties faced by injured officers and making sure they can get peer support.

They group has  two fundraising events scheduled for August. The firs is a motorcycle ride August 1st at Fuzzy's Southside, 1726 S. West Ave. Waukesha, WI. 53188.

A golf outing is scheduled on August 31st. 

They're also in the process of applying for grants and are establishing a scholarship fund for the children of injured officers. 

For more information on how you can help click here