On the morning of Oct. 5, Clanton resident Stephanie Hubbard received a knock on her door that changed her life.

“I opened the door and my husband’s best friend was standing there in front of me,” Hubbard said on Tuesday morning. “I went through all of the reasons he was standing there, and I don’t remember much after that.”

Stephanie Hubbard’s husband of 16 years, Montgomery Police Department officer Robert “Bobby” Hubbard, was shot and injured the morning of Oct. 5 while responding to a theft call at the East Boulevard Walmart in Montgomery.

Although Robert Hubbard is still recovering from his injuries, which include multiple stitches in his throat from a gunshot wound and injuries to his right arm, the couple spoke to the media Tuesday morning for the first time since the incident.

“We just wanted to let everyone know that we are appreciative of all of the support we have received,” Robert Hubbard said. “I am happy to still be here, and this was our way to say thank you to everyone.”

Officer Hubbard responded to a shoplift complaint at the store around 8:30 a.m. when Matthew Wright allegedly pulled a gun and shot the officer multiple times as he was attempting to make an arrest.

Wright fled the state to Louisiana where he was captured the same day as the shooting.

Although many questions surrounding the incident could not be answered during the press conference on Tuesday due to the case still being under investigation, the Hubbards say they are thankful the situation was not worse.

“The tears I get now are nothing but joy,” Stephanie Hubbard said. “Everyone has been wonderful, and Bobby is amazing. He is superman.”

Officer Hubbard, who sported an Alabama Crimson Tide shirt with his arm wrapped in bandages and a visible wound to his neck, said he is trying to look at the positives in the situation, but still plays the “what if” game on a regular basis.

“There couldn’t have been a better outcome though, he said. I am still sitting here, and I would do things the exact same way if I had to do it again.”

When asked what was the first thought that came into his head after undergoing surgery for his injuries, the five-year veteran of MPD said it was whether anyone else had been hurt.

“I wanted to make sure no one else had been hurt; I know that Walmart stays pretty busy,” Hubbard said. “Every day we put on our uniforms, and we train for these types of scenarios. This is our life and more than just a job.”

Stephanie Hubbard said when she first arrived at the hospital the morning of the shooting she walked into the recovery room and saw her husband smiling.

“I don’t remember a lot of that morning, but I do remember getting to see him, and when I looked at him, he was sitting there smiling back at me and I knew everything was going to be OK,” Stephanie Hubbard said. “Only he can go through something like this and still be smiling. He is my hero, and I am proud of him.”

The couple has five children and two grandchildren.

“We have a small baseball team at home,” Robert Hubbard jokingly said.

Hubbard was released from Baptist Medical Center South, and will spend the next 6-8 months at his home in Clanton, where he will work on his recovery.

“My body has to heal, but I have so much support from Chilton County to Montgomery, and we are very blessed,” Robert Hubbard said.

Wright remains in custody in LaSalle Parish, La. where he was apprehended and is awaiting extradition back to Montgomery.