The Rome police officer who was the first responder to a deadly shooting last summer was honored for his heroism at Monday’s Rome City Commission meeting.

Officer Matt Fowler, a four-year veteran of the city police department, was named the Rome Officer of the Year and also received a medal of valor for his actions at the shooting on Wilkerson Road on Aug. 27.

Mayor Wright Bagby also read a proclamation honoring Fowler, who has also been recognized by the Floyd County Commission.

“Last year, we had one of the most potentially dangerous situations we’ve ever had in Rome, but because of the actions of Matt Fowler, he prevented something that could have been much more tragic,” Bagby said.

Fowler was the first officer on the scene at the shooting last year in which a shooter opened fire on a house. One man was killed and a woman seriously wounded before the shooter hid near the house as a fire department unit arrived on the scene.

Fowler said all he knew when he arrived and readied his shotgun was that a suspect, later identified as John Clayton Corley, was hiding in a nearby field.

“There was a good minute and a half when I started searching for him where I had no real cover or concealment,” Fowler said. “It was a situation where I just responded and used my training and experience and did what I needed to.

“But after it all settled down and after the initial shock, I had a moment to process it all and I realized how close I was to a deadly force situation.”

Fowler said having to react quickly to dangerous situations is part of the duty of being a law enforcement officer.

“I thought that was going to be a slow day, and then all of that happened,” Fowler said. “It just shows you never know what will happen from one moment to the next.

“I guess you could say it’s one of the benefits and one of the torments of the job.”