Metro

MTA officer stabbed in face at LIRR station leaves the hospital

The MTA officer stabbed in the eye by a cop-hating psycho was in great spirits yesterday, laughing with colleagues as he left the hospital and expressing his eagerness to return to his job.

“I [also] want to get back to running,’’ said Officer John Barnett, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who also competes in marathons.

“I want to get back to the job as soon as possible,” said Barnett, 45, as a doctor wheeled him out of Jamaica Hospital.

The cop repeatedly flashed a thumbs-up sign to the two dozen cops applauding him.

It’s not clear if Barnett will regain vision in his left eye, which doctors may have to remove to protect his good eye from infection.

MTA Capt. John Fitzpatrick, who was Barnett’s field-training officer, praised the hero’s recovery thus far.

“I’m glad I’m not a betting man because I would never have seen this coming,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s the type of guy that could get up out of the hospital one day after getting stabbed in the eye.”

Barnett, asked how he was doing given the life-or-death circumstances he survived, replied: “Very good. Thank you very much.”

Barnett was on duty at the LIRR Jamaica station at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when Edgar Owens — who had a history of attacking cops without provocation — walked up to him and, without saying a word, stabbed him in the face, and kept attacking.

The 13-year veteran officer then fired four rounds and killed Owens.

“The injuries are very severe,” state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) said yesterday after visiting the wounded cop.

Barnett’s sister, Danielle Dorrell, 30, said that despite his wound, her brother is “doing well” — and is soaking up his newfound fame.

“He’s ecstatic, he wants to frame every [published] picture of himself,” she said. “He needs all the support he can get right now.”

Additional reporting by Amelia Harris