Bullets from 1999 attack removed from man's head

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For a decade, the bullet in Jorge Acevedo's skull reminded him that he had nearly lost his life and his dream of becoming a police officer.

Now the reminder is gone.

Acevedo, brain-damaged and partially paralyzed by the Christmas Day 1999 shooting, had the bullet removed last week by a neurosurgeon after it began protruding from his skull.

The surprised surgeon also found a second bullet of a different caliber.

Acevedo, 39, said today he hoped the bullets can provide clues to help find the attackers.

"I feel more and more inspired, more and more strength that anything can be done," said Acevedo, a longtime volunteer at the Glendale Police Department who was in a coma for several months after the shooting. "I feel nothing can stop me right now."