Sheriff's lieutenant injured in elevator accident goes home

CENTER CITY (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia sheriff's lieutenant who was severely injured in a Center City elevator accident is finally well enough to go home.

Paul Owens has been getting treatment at a rehabilitation facility since the incident in August.

Finally, on Tuesday morning, he left the hospital.

"I feel a lot better than I did when I first got here," said Lt. Paul Owens.

Owens was riding in an elevator inside the Criminal Justice Center that crashed.

Sheriff Jewell Williams says seeing his colleague and friend finally go home is like receiving a belated Christmas present.

Still, he expressed his lingering concerns about the elevators inside the CJC.

"I've said this from the very beginning: My goal is to make sure the sheriff's office, the officers and the public are safe. Those elevators were not safe and that's the reason this happened," Williams said.

Owens suffered severe head and chest injuries along with several broken vertebrae. He remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Still, he's ready to go home.

"Just trying to get back to regular life. It's hard, but it's just part of the process. I've got a long way to go, but I got this far," said Owens.

Owens expressed his appreciation for the support he received from his family and his brothers and sisters and blue.

"It's unbelievable how much support I had from my office, the police department, the FOP, everybody, the rehab. They were great. I'm just happy this part's over with and moving on," he said.

Meanwhile, the investigation continues into why the elevator rose out of control and crashed.

Owens' family has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the city and the elevator company.