DALLAS, Texas — A beloved Dallas A/C and appliances technician serving the area for over three decades is recovering in the hospital after he was shot while confronting a suspect trying to break into his work truck.
Per the Dallas Police Department, Jesse Simmons, 60, was shot early last Thursday around 5:30 a.m. in front of his home on Donegal Drive.
Simmons owns "Jesse's A/C and Appliance Service" and is a Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce board member.
His wife, Alison, told WFAA that her husband is lucky to be alive. A bullet nicked Simmons' kidney, liver and spine.
Alison said that Simmons couldn't walk on his own after being shot and couldn't feel anything beneath his knees.
"It hit the L3 in his spine; when he went down, he knew that he'd been hit in the spine and couldn't walk," Alison Simmons said. "Hopefully, there's a chance he can walk again--he can wiggle his toes, which is a good sign. When he was shot, he said the only thing he prayed for was that he would live. He didn't care whether he walked again as long as he was still living."
Per investigators with the Dallas Police Department, Simmons was getting ready for work that day when he got a notification on his Ring app that someone was in his front yard.
When he noticed that someone was trying to break into his truck, Simmons went to his front yard armed with his pistol.
The front doorbell camera catches Simmons leaving, saying, "Can I help you?"
Simmons can be seen taking more steps toward the street to confront the suspect before he's shot — that part is not caught on video.
Simmons' wife said her husband was calling 911 when he was shot.
"When he picked up his cell phone to call the police, the guy shot him," Alison said.
Alison, still asleep, was awakened by first responders who made it to the scene before she realized her husband had been shot.
"The first thing they said to me was, 'Mrs. Simmons, your husband's been shot.' It was absolutely terrifying," Alison said.
Per police, the suspect took off and is still at large. He can be seen in security footage provided by the the couple. The picture isn't clear, but Alison hopes someone knows who the guy is and calls the police.
She added that the suspect might be wounded, adding that Simmons fired back after falling to the ground.
Simmons' truck is still sitting in front of his home. Alison told WFAA he has spinal fusion surgery this week and hopes the paralysis is temporary.
She said she's practically living at the hospital with the man she loves and hopes that he's back behind the wheel of his work truck soon.
Simmons is the breadwinner of the family, and his daughter works alongside him.
"I've never heard him scream like that in pain," Alison said.
"I don't think I'll ever get it out of my head. It just seems so stupid that someone would shoot someone over a vehicle. He loves to work and care for people, but he can't do that right now... and it's tough."
A fund was set up to help pay Simmons' health bills. Click here if you'd like to help.