An Edmonton police officer injured during the 2015 shooting that killed Const. Daniel Woodall has transitioned into a new career on the other side of the law.

Jason Harley, a former sergeant with Edmonton Police Service (EPS), is six months into his new career as an articling student with Brownlee LLP, but his career as a police officer is never too far from his mind – in fact, Harley’s law firm at Commerce Place is mere blocks away from the EPS headquarters.

Harley was thrust into the spotlight June 8, 2015, when he and seven other police officers attempted to execute an arrest warrant, stemming from a hate crimes investigation, for Norman Raddatz at his west Edmonton house.

“It was a very routine event. To the best of our knowledge, I spoke to [Raddatz] personally that day, there was no indications as to what he had planned,” said Harley, who was the sergeant in charge of the operation to arrest Raddatz.

“When the time came for us to execute the warrant, he was well prepared to thwart law enforcement efforts and he began shooting through the door and through the walls of his home. I was standing next to Dan – we were together just at the door. I was standing right in front of him when the shooting started. I was hit once as I turned and Dan was struck several times.”

Woodall was killed; police chief Rod Knecht said, at the time, that none of the bullets hit Woodall’s vest.

“[Raddatz] had a plan and he executed his plan and very unfortunately Dan paid for that was his life,” Harley said.

Harley himself was shot in the lower back – he credits a bulletproof vest for saving his life.

“The vest actually grabbed the bullet so it didn’t go all the way through the vest. Otherwise the round would have gone clean through me and out the other side. It would have been a very different result,” he said.

“It was a very emotional time for everyone in the city. I know I appreciated, at the time, there was a great deal of support from my colleagues, from friends, family and even just the city at large there,” Harley said.

“It was a very emotional and confusing time. I think a lot of people were trying to figure out how to move forward.”

Harley said he knew Woodall but the pair had never worked together.

“From what I know of him now, it’s too bad that we didn’t get a chance to work together or get a chance to work more closely together. Obviously he’s a great policeman and a great person, and it’s a shame I didn’t get to know him better,” he said.

Click below to read more on Jason from Global Edmonton.