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GREENSBORO — With a heavy heart and a great sense of appreciation, Officer Matt O’Hal returned to duty Thursday with the Greensboro Police Department.

It’s been a long road. And he knows just how close he came to never seeing this day — a mere two millimeters to be precise.

“I’m excited,” O’Hal said Thursday morning. “I’m rejuvenated, and at the same time, I feel my return is bittersweet.”

Just eight months ago, O’Hal found himself lying along Patterson Avenue on a cold February afternoon.

As he rushed to put down stop sticks to puncture the tires of a vehicle with two bank robbery suspects inside, the car swerved and hit him — sending him to the ground, unable to move. That’s when the bullets started flying.

The suspects fired on the officers who had chased them. The officers fired back. When the smoke cleared, one suspect was dead, another was critically injured and O’Hal had two gunshot wounds to his left hip and calf.

Hospitalized for a week, he underwent five surgeries and extensive rehabilitative therapy over the past several months.

O’Hal, 35, had to work to stand again and regain muscle movement from nerve damage. He’s anticipating a full recovery with only minor long-term effects.

On Thursday, he began doing administrative work for the department and hopes to return to his position with the K-9 unit with his dog Drago — a Czech shepherd — in the coming months.

While he’s thrilled to be back at work, part of his mind is elsewhere, in light of the shooting last week in Winston-Salem that killed Sgt. Mickey Hutchens and left officer Daniel Clark wounded.

“The passing of Sgt. Hutchens reaffirmed my belief that life is a glorious opportunity,” O’Hal said.

“It’s only by God’s grace and the support of my wife, my children, my family, my church and my police family that I have been able to see this day when I can return to work with a humble mind and body.”

O’Hal watched coverage of the Winston-Salem shootings with a heavy heart for the officers and their families. He thought of his family, too, and all they have been through.

“I want (Hutchens’) family to know how much myself and my family care about (them) and for the sacrifice he made,” O’Hal said. “It touched home, because I was a millimeter away ... from reaching the same fate.”

The bullet that entered his hip passed through a two-millimeter window nicking his femoral nerve, but missing his femoral artery.

One of the most difficult parts of returning to duty has been dealing with his three children, ages 3 to 12.

“They obviously don’t want Daddy to return back to work, but I’ve expressed to them this is something Daddy and their dog Drago loves to do, and we truly love to help people,” he said. “There are risks involved, but this is what we were called to do.”

While the impact of the shootings in Winston-Salem remains fresh in law enforcement and the community, O’Hal said he hopes everyone keeps Sgt. Hutchens’ and officer Clark’s families in their thoughts and prayers.

“He’s (my family’s) hero, as is officer Clark. It’s an extremely sad time for us right now,” O’Hal said, “but I thank God he’s given me the grace to continue what I do.”

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com