Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy Gary McClure was recently honored by The Hundred Club of Detroit with a valor award for the courage he exhibited in helping to save the life of a woman who was shot multiple times by her husband last year.

Receiving this prestigious award was “bittersweet” for McClure, who will celebrate 30 years with the sheriff’s office in February.

“It’s nice to know you did what was required and you didn’t make a mistake,” he explained. “But the sad part is, there is a victim and her life’s been changed by this shooting. Fortunately, she lived.”

McClure, who’s been working out of the Addison Township substation for about a year-and-a-half, was presented the award, an engraved Shinola watch, during the club’s 63rd annual dinner meeting held at the famed Detroit Athletic Club.

Incorporated in 1952, The Hundred Club of Detroit provides financial support for the surviving spouses and dependents of police officers and firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty.

Since its inception, the club has assisted 280 widows and families by making more than $6 million in benefit payments. That total includes more than $3 million in scholarship grants from a fund established in 1964 for the children of fallen police officers and firefighters.

In addition to helping the families of the fallen, The Hundred Club of Detroit annually, since 1962, presents valor awards to law enforcement officers and firefighters for single acts of heroism.

The incident for which McClure was honored occurred on Nov. 1, 2015 at 110 Frick Rd. in Addison. It involved Grant David Anderson, 51, shooting his 45-year-old wife in the abdomen, leg and hand, then threatening to pull the trigger on himself.

“I was the first officer on scene,” McClure said. “I was the only deputy working Addison Township on that particular day.”

When he got to the house, the victim was lying in front of the steps leading to the front door. “As I approached her, (Anderson) came back and stood in the doorway with the gun pointed to his head,’ McClure said. “He was holding it with both hands to his throat area.”

McClure pointed his weapon at Anderson and ordered him to get down on the ground. Anderson refused to obey and instead, just stood there motionless, staring at the deputy for a few seconds.

Fortunately, Anderson did not point the gun at McClure or the victim.

“Otherwise, it would have been a whole different ending,” he said.

Eventually, Anderson stepped back inside the house and closed the door.

This afforded McClure the opportunity to drag the victim to a safer position.

“I moved her out of the light, behind (a Jeep parked in the driveway) and asked dispatch to see if the fire department would come get her,” the deputy said.

The victim couldn’t move on her own because one of the shots had “shattered” her leg.

“When she was running out of the house, he shot her in the back of the leg and she collapsed,” McClure explained.

Four Addison firefighters – Chief Jerry Morawski, Sgt. Joe Fisher, Sgt. Chuck Johnson and firefighter Rob Fitzpatrick – risked their lives by travelling up the long driveway and retrieving the victim, while McClure covered them.

“They loaded her up and got her out of there,” McClure said. “It was awful brave of them to do that.”

McClure later learned if the victim had gone another 15 minutes without medical treatment, she would have bled to death.

“She had been shot through-and-through in the gut,” the deputy said.

Undersheriff Mike McCabe couldn’t be prouder of McClure’s selflessness and heroic actions. “He put his life in jeopardy to save that woman’s life,” he said. “Gary put himself in a position where he was protecting her as he was dragging her away. He could have easily been shot and killed, but he made the decision in a split second that ‘Hey, this is what I’m going to do.’”

But McClure’s “a little uncomfortable” taking all the credit.

He again noted how courageous the firefighters were for coming to get the victim when it was unknown what Anderson was going to do next. “The fire department played such a huge role in this,” McClure said. “They were just as pivotal.”

McClure also noted what a critical part the neighbors, Kenneth and Rita Golden, played in this situation.

They were the ones who called 9-1-1 when they heard gunshots and proceeded to provide authorities with “a flood of information” about the situation.

When McClure arrived on scene, it was Rita who showed him a trail through the woods that he used as a shortcut to get to the house rather than walking up the long driveway.

Meanwhile, Kenneth was already at the house. He was standing outside his pickup truck in the driveway, with the headlights pointed at the house.

McClure credits Kenneth with saving the victim’s life.

“When Mr. Golden pulled in, (Anderson) had the gun pointed to her head,” he said. “By pulling in, it took (Anderson’s) attention away (from her). He actually came over and had a brief conversation with Mr. Golden, so absolutely, that interrupted his thought process and what he was intending to do.”

In the end, McClure views this whole incident as a true “community effort.”

“I played an equal role, I believe, to the fire department and to the neighbors,” he said. “(It’s something) I won’t forget because of the involvement of others and the help of others.”

Following the SWAT team’s arrival, negotiators were able to make contact with Anderson by phone. They convinced him to exit the house and surrender without incident.

In August, Anderson pleaded no contest to the felony charges of assault with intent to murder, unlawful imprisonment and using a firearm in the commission of felony. He was sentenced in September and is now in prison.

McClure is grateful to the sheriff’s office for all the “incredible” and “intense” training he’s received regarding how to deal with situations involving active shooters and barricaded gunmen.

Because of that, Anderson said he knew that “no matter what I ran into” that night, “I had the tools and the training to handle” it. He said that “was so comforting” and “such a great feeling for me.”

“I didn’t appreciate (the training) as much as I should have until I was put in that situation,” he said. “That’s when I really realized I’ve been prepared for this.”

“There’s no department that provides training, that I’m aware of, anywhere near the level that we get,” McClure noted. “I believe (it) really made a difference.”

With all the “anti-police rhetoric” out there in today’s world, McCabe believes McClure’s actions are a fine example of “what police officers do” and a much-needed reminder for the public of how they’re willing to put their lives on the line to protect others.

“It was a great act of heroism on Gary’s part,” he said.