'Let's all be 148 strong' Wife of officer shot on duty thankful for the support

COVINGTON, Ga. — The wife of a Covington police officer, who is recovering after being shot in the head on Labor Day, sent Channel 2 Action News a video thanking the thousands of people who showed up for the "Fuzz Run" Saturday morning.

In the video, Kristen Cooper thanked people for supporting her family, while her husband, Matt Cooper, remains in serious condition at Grady Memorial Hospital as doctor try to figure out how to safely remove a bullet from his neck.

“I wanted to thank everyone for coming out to the ‘Fuzz Run’ to support him ... because of your support, I'm able to sit with my husband, care for my kids and worry about nothing else,” she said. “There simply aren't enough 'thank yous' to express how appreciative we are for the prayers, messages and support.”

The Covington Police Department has hosted its annual “Fuzz Run” for the past 35 years, but this year’s run took on a different meaning for the Cooper family.

Channel 2's Lauren Pozen was there when the event began with a video message from Officer Cooper's wife Kristen Cooper, thanking everyone for their support.

"Let's all be 148 strong," she said.

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Channel 2 Action News has had a team of reporters following Cooper's recovery and the support the officer is receiving from the community.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne spoke with Cooper's fellow officers, who said Cooper is the epitome' of what an officer should be.

“I’m a 23-year veteran here sir. I’m 44. He’s 31. I look up to this man. That’s the type of person he is,” Officer Pat Womack said about Cooper.

Covington Police Chief Stacey Cotton told Channel 2's Aaron Diamant, who has been following the story since it broke Monday, that Cooper has been responding to doctors.

Cox Media Group