Notice: This article is more than one year old and is part of the Henry Ford College news archive. Information in the article may be outdated. For the most current news and information about Henry Ford College, please visit hfcc.edu/news, or contact communications@hfcc.edu.
Release Date: 
Tuesday, March 15, 2022

HawkStrong: Alumna overcomes serious injury to return to active duty

Veronica Cashion in uniform
Grosse Pointe Farms public safety officer Veronica Cashion is proud to be back on duty after recovering from major injuries that many believed would end her career in law enforcement.

After being hit by a truck in a parking lot, Grosse Pointe Farms Public Safety Officer Veronica Cashion, an HFC alumna, was told she would be unable to return to duty.

Determined to beat the odds, Cashion, of Macomb Township, proved the predictions wrong.

In late 2021, she was sworn in as a public safety officer, finally able to return to duty. Lt. Jim Cashion of the Detroit Police Department, her husband of 10 years, was the one who pinned her badge on her uniform.

And Veronica Cashion was Public Safety Director Daniel Jensen’s last hire before he retired at the end of 2021. It was indeed a proud moment for her.

“The feeling was unbelievable, exciting, happy! I felt very accomplished,” recalled Cashion. “When someone tells you that you might not be able to do what you love, it's heartbreaking. The day that I had to turn in my badge and leave the department was very hard and depressing for me. Returning to the Farms with open arms from my deputy director and director was a great feeling because it meant that painful chapter was over for me.”

A purpose-driven adrenaline junkie

An alumna of Fordson High School in Dearborn, Cashion attended HFC (then Henry Ford Community College), earning her associate degree in criminal justice. She spoke about wanting to become a police officer.

“I didn’t want to be stuck in an office,” explained Cashion. “I’m a purpose-driven adrenaline junkie – not to put myself at risk, but to get that rush of going into a building that might house an armed suspect if it results in bringing them to justice or effecting a rescue. Something interesting is happening all the time.”

She has found her passion. “Every day is new and exciting. You don’t know what the next day will bring. It’s very rewarding to help someone who has been victimized. Bringing a criminal to justice – that’s a great feeling. Seeing the smile on a child’s face when you put the lights and sirens on in your scout car, or helping out that senior citizen in your community with what might seem like a small task to you but means the world to them.”

Her 15-year career in law enforcement began with the DPD, where she met her husband. She worked for the Harper Woods Police Department for 4½ years. In 2012, she was hired at the Farms. She really loved being a police officer.

Then, a life-altering event happened. An event that changed her life in the blink of an eye.

Three years of hard work to recover from one moment

After finishing a workout at her local gym, Cashion was walking across the parking lot when she was struck by an SUV.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an SUV moving toward me,” she said. She tried to get out of the SUV's path, but there was no time. "I was struck by the SUV, I flew into the air and landed on my back behind the vehicle. The driver wasn’t paying attention when she entered the lot. She was driving about 30-35 mph. My husband was walking out of the gym and saw the accident happen, which was scary for both of us.”

Amazingly, she didn’t sustain any broken bones. But she did suffer damage to her back and rotator cuff and other injuries. She learned that she might not be able to regain enough function to return to active duty as a public safety officer.

She spent the next two years working through intensive physical therapy. But she was not returning to full strength. So she began doing her own workouts to restore strength and range of motion. Her exercise routine included cardio, light weights, walking at a slow pace, and then cardio. There was also stretching – plenty of stretching.

“After two years of PT, the same thing every day with limited results became very frustrating for me and my husband. That’s when my husband suggested that I try to do some of the work on my own,” said Cashion. “I slowly started to incorporate the workouts I was doing before the accident, with modifications. I knew what my body was able to withstand, and I progressively worked my way back to where I am now. I’m 100% with my weights and cardio. The exception is with running – I still have issues with that – but I’m almost 100% physically and mentally.”

It took her three years to recover fully from the accident.

A future on her own terms

In mid-2020, Cashion was able to return to the Farms as a dispatcher. But that wasn't her goal. She wanted to be an active public safety officer again. She continued her exercise program, determined to get fully fit. In 2021, she hit an important milestone: Her primary care physician cleared her for active duty.

“I worked very hard and overcame many obstacles to get where I am,” said Cashion. “My goal was to get promoted, and nothing was going to stop me from obtaining that goal. If I were to end my career, it would be on my own terms. The accident was just another obstacle for me to overcome. I found the recovery and getting back to the job to be a challenge, but I was up for it!”

One of the keys was determination, and another was the mind-body connection. “The mind is a very powerful thing. When I started my recovery, a friend from the gym told me that if you tell your brain that you can’t do it, you won’t, but if you push through, then your body will follow. If there’s something you want, don’t give up. Never give up – that’s my motto in life now.”