A Lufkin police officer is in a Houston hospital recovering from the major complications that developed after he had surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat.

 

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It seems to be just one thing after another for officer Eric Willmon.  After successful radiation and chemotherapy for lymphoma at Houston's Methodist Hospital, his doctors discovered he had developed an irregular heart beat.

So he had surgery to correct that problem, but in the process he suffered a series of small strokes that caused some brain damage. To prevent more brain damage, he was put into a medically induced coma.

He's out of the coma now, but he has developed pneumonia. His family is now just watching, waiting and praying.

A benefit account has been set up at First Bank & Trust in the name of Eric and Stefani Willmon.

Tragedy seems to stalk the Willmon family.  Officer Willmon is the son of Angelina County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Capt. Don H. Willmon, who was killed in the line of duty in May of 1979.

Captain Willmon's killer was an illegal immigrant who escaped into Mexico, where it took 24 years to catch him.  Alvaro Rodarte was finally found and arrested in 2003.  He was prosecuted and imprisoned in Mexico because Mexico will not extradite anyone to a country where he or she could face the death penalty.

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