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Clifford fired back and took cover.
The sound of another gunshot followed.
Clifford, discovering that the 36-year-old resident had shot himself, tried to resuscitate him to no avail.
For his heroism that fall morning in 2021, Clifford has received the Valor Award from the 200 Club of Bergen County, one of the nation's largest groups of its kind.
He's richly deserving of the honor, the Lyndhurst Police Department said, for "exhibiting the highest level of bravery and perseverance in the face of danger during a violent encounter."
It was a Sunday morning in October, just after 8 a.m., when Clifford went to the Post Avenue residence a block and a half off Ridge Road, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office reported.
There was a quick exchange of fire, with each man missing the other, according to the report:
"The resident then apparently shot and fatally wounded himself on the sidewalk. Emergency medical personnel rendered first aid and transported the resident to Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, where he was pronounced deceased at approximately 8:28 a.m."
State law required a review by the AG's office, despite the obvious circumstances, because a civilian had died in an encounter with law enforcement.
A medical examiner's report and ballistics comparisons were among the evidence that eventually confirmed what everyone already knew -- that Lyndhurst Police Officer Michael Clifford had risked his life in what ended in the resident's death by suicide.
The 200 Club of Bergen County presented its highest award to Clifford during an Oct. 4 ceremony at the Venetian in Garfield.
The club cited his "act of bravery, beyond the call of duty, and [at] imminent personal risk to his own life and safety."
Receiving Meritorious Service Awards were Bergen County Sheriff's Sgt. Vincent Surace and Investigator Nicholas Haggerty, Ridgefield Park Officers Corey Buljeta, Lavorne Green, Kenneth Knebl and Amanda Thomas, and Hackensack Firefighters John Davis and Michael O'Reilly.
Distinguished Service Awards were presented to Hackensack Fire Lt. Jeffrey Giarrusso and Firefighter Kevin Cribben, Fairview Police Officers Sebastian Castano and Tommy Makdis, Hackensack Police Capt. Michael Antista and Fire Capt. Richard Katz, and Teaneck Police Sgt. Stephen Morena and Officer Aundra Ellington.
Receiving Distinguished Service Awards were Hackensack Fire Lt. Miguel Gonzalez, Lt. Nicholas Lorenzo and Firefighter Daniel Wixon and Wood-Ridge Firefighters Thomas Bischoff Jr., Mateusz Czwakiel and Nicholas Fallon.
The John R. Rinaldi Service Award went to Fairview Police Sgt. Sevan Kasparyan, Officer George Alexiou and Special Officer Class II Forest Wilson, as well as to Park Ridge Fire Chief John Hansen, who retired after 62 years of service.
Rinaldi Unit Citations went to Englewood Deputy Police Chief Matthew de la Rosa, Sgt. Leonidas Restrepo, Detective Michael Chapman and Officers Andrew Chytrak, George Coleman, Brett Devenny and Christopher Sabo, and Hackensack Police Sgt. Franklin Bay, Detective Aaron Rios and Officers Ryan Conlon, Frank McCall, Brett McCarthy, Michael Scangarella and Kevin Small.
Also received Rinaldi Citations were Westwood Police Officers Ryan Casey, Alex Dinardi, Brian Donaghy and Christopher Horst, Emerson Police Officer Brandon Rizza, Hackensack Deputy Fire Chief Calogero Trapani, Lts Roberto Burgos, Jeffrey Giarrusso and Michael Martinelli, and Firefighters Manuel Castano, Michael Cribben, Cara Donahue, Justin Donovan, Michael Maglio, Robert McClintock and Matthew Voorhis.
Rinaldi Citations also went to New Jersey State Police Detective II William Condron, Detective Andrew McCoy and Trooper Timothy Fazenbaker, as well as NJSP Detective Sgt. Anthony Giunta, Detective I Blazej Oczkos, Detective I Nagib Saad and Detective Michael Pisano, Staff Sg. Joshua Coppola, Sgt. Steven Cody, Trooper I Steven Gardenier and Troopers Matthew DiMaggio, Justin Kearns, Danny Kim, Hector Rodriguez and Jordan Stack.
Bergen's 200 Club has grown since its inception in 1985 to serve first responders in a variety of direct ways along with bestowing honors.
Among other contributions, the 200 Club of Bergen County:
- financially supports the dependents of heroes killed in the line of duty;
- provides funding and grants for life-saving equipment;
- funds scholarships for the families of first responders and club members.
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