COVINGTON, Ga. — This month marks a year since a metro Atlanta police officer was shot in the head while confronting a suspect.
He's not only back on his feet, but running, too.
Covington Police Officer Matt Cooper ran in this year's Fuzz Run.
For decades, people across metro Atlanta have gathered in Covington for the annual ritual. And face it -- finishing the run is not always a cakewalk.
But for Cooper, none of that mattered.
"It's like graduating to me," he said. "It's a big goal."
It's a goal that, this time last year, did not seem realistic.
"It's a good day," said Kristen Cooper, Matt's wife. "Not sad, like I was last year, you know. Just really happy."
The date was September 3, 2018.
Cooper and fellow Covington officers responded to reports of shoplifters at the local Walmart.
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Matt and a sergeant took off after a suspect who ran off. After awhile, the sergeant heard two gunshots.
He rounded a corner to find Matt on the ground, unconscious and hurt. He had been shot in the head.
Following Matt's shooting, the shoplifting suspect apparently took his own life.
After months of intensive rehabilitation, Matt ran in the one-mile race on Saturday. Plus, he did something most people did not expect -- he ran the final stretch of the Fuzz Run.
"It meant the world to me and to be able to finish with a quick jog for at least 10 feet, it meant a lot to me," he said. "And to have everyone cheering me on, I'm beyond humbled by this city."
"When we crossed the finish line, our son said, 'My daddy won!' And I was like, yes, he won," Kristen said.
And Matt did not have to look far for support, either -- from the "Officer Cooper Strong" banner to the Georgia State Patrol honoring him after the race.
"There are a lot of bad days, but you just have to keep going," Matt said. "You got to keep driving."
Officer Cooper says the next step is to drive again, and eventually, to get back on the job.