COVINGTON, Ga. — An astonishing journey of recovery for an officer shot in the head in 2018 has finally come to the day where he has returned to work.
The Covington Police Department shared the good news on its Facebook page Monday, saying Officer Matt Cooper was back on the job.
The road to get there hasn't been an easy one.
It was September 3, 2018 when Covington Police Officer Matt Cooper and a sergeant were called to the Walmart on Industrial Boulevard to respond to a shoplifting call.
Two people were taken into custody in the parking lot and a third ran from the scene.
Police said the officer - Cooper -- and a sergeant ran in opposite directions behind a nearby building looking for the suspect. The sergeant heard two gunshots and found the other officer injured.
The Army veteran who was 34 years old at the time had been shot in the head. He was taken to the Atlanta Medical Center and later transferred to Grady Hospital. Authorities said the suspect took his own life.
Ahead for Cooper, a family man with a wife and two small children, was a long road to recovery.
RELATED: Covington officer Matt Cooper, those who saved his life to be honored in community ceremony
Since that Labor Day 2018 shooting, Cooper has made several strides along the away, such as mouthing the words "I love you" to his wife while he was in the hospital, being moved to the Shepherd Center for to start brain injury rehabilitation, going home just in time for the holidays, and even getting well enough to go for a "run".
He even got the chance to throw the first pitch at the Braves game in September.
And now, the community is celebrating the milestone of his return to work.
"Welcome back 148," the photo post said for Cooper. "Officer Cooper is back at work 5.18.20. WE ARE BLESSED."
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