See Manchester Officer's Homecoming After Beating Coronavirus

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township police officer who survived a more than three-month battle with the coronavirus was welcomed home by his fellow officers after he was released from the hospital on Wednesday.

Sgt. Antonio Ellis tested positive for the virus in March, and spent nearly a month on a ventilator and in a coma, Manchester Mayor Ken Palmer wrote in a post on Facebook.

On Wednesday, he was finally well enough to be released from Magee Rehabilitation Jefferson Health in Philadelphia to go home to his wife and children in Toms River.

"Today, everyone in town hall and local law enforcement took a collective sigh of major relief because we were able to welcome Sgt. Antonio Ellis home," Palmer wrote. "For the past three months, Antonio has been in a fight for his life after contracting Covid 19."

"Sgt. Ellis never gave up as he fought hard each and every day to get back home to his loving family," Manchester police said in a post Thursday afternoon about his return. "That day has finally come, and we couldn’t be happier for Antonio and the Ellis family!"

Ellis was hospitalized with COVID-19 at Cooper Hospital University Medical Center in Camden, and when he finally came off the ventilator and was ready for rehab, transferred to Magee in Philadelphia. There, Ellis underwent six weeks of intensive physical therapy to regain his strength, according to the rehabilitation center's staff.

When he was released from Magee, he was greeted with a number of Manchester police officers, along with officers from the Ocean County Sheriff's Department, Lakehurst, Lakewood and Toms River.

Philadelphia police gave him an escort out of town (watch below).

From Philadelphia, he was escorted back to Manchester's police headquarters, where he was greeted by township employees and the rest of the police department.

His fellow officers and the township staff cheered as Ellis, who leads Manchester's Traffic Safety Unit, got out of the van and simply pointed to the message on his T-shirt: #SURVIVOR.

"Since I have gotten to know Sgt. Ellis, I would describe him as professional, smart, diligent and kind. Two more adjectives to add are tough and a miracle," Palmer said. "Welcome home and keep getting healthier!"

That wasn't the last stop, however. (See below.)

From police headquarters, Ellis was escorted to his Toms River home, where neighbors and dozens of residents lined the street, many wearing T-shirts reading "364 Strong" on the back, the 364 representing Ellis's badge number, and bagpipers serenaded him.

Police from several towns joined the police vehicles from Manchester, Toms River and Lakewood for the escort to Ellis's home, and a New Jersey State Police helicopter did a flyover as a tribute. A banner signed by dozens of people hung outside his home.

"We have been counting the days and praying alongside his family for this moment," Toms River police said in a Facebook post on Thursday. "From the entire Toms River Police Family, Welcome Home Sergeant Ellis!"

Manchester police thanked a lengthy list of groups and law enforcement agencies for their support in celebrating Ellis's return home.

"These included but are not limited to: Toms River Police, Toms River District 1 Fire, Manchester Fire, Manchester EMS, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey State Police Aviation, Jackson Police, Barnegat Police, Howell Police, Lakewood Police, Berkeley Police, Brick Police, Lacey Police, Lakehurst Police, Ocean Township (Waretown) Police, Stafford Police, Cherry Hill Police, Philadelphia Police, the Shamrock and Thistle Pipe Band, Blue Wave Printing, Cure’s Barbeque Time BBQ, Capone’s Gourmet Pizza and Pasta, Shop-Rite of Fischer Boulevard, local hotrod enthusiasts clubs, as well as the staff of the Cooper Medical Center and Magee Rehabilitation Hospital," Manchester police said.

"The coming together of the community in support of Antonio and his family was nothing short of spectacular and it will remain a day that the Manchester Township family and Ellis family will never forget," Manchester's post said.

"Welcome home Manchester Township Sgt. Antonio Ellis," the Ocean County Sheriff's Office said in a post on Facebook. "Our office was honored to escort him home with our fellow brothers and sisters. Miracles do happen and prayers work. God Speed!"

See more videos and photos below.

Ellis, in addition to leading the Manchester Traffic Safety Unit, also has been an instructor at the Ocean County Police Academy and is an accredited traffic accident reconstructionist, a drug recognition expert, a radar instructor, and has been instrumental in obtaining grants involving DWI prevention and the Move Over Law.

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