A deputy sheriff from Georgia was fatally shot while responding to a domestic dispute call, in what authorities are describing as an ambush. The incident occurred on Saturday evening in a residential area of Hiram, Georgia. Major Ashley Henson of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office reported that the officers were immediately fired upon upon arrival at the scene.
The assailant, a male, also unleashed a barrage of bullets at other officers, but only one was hit. Deputy Brandon Cunningham, 30, of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, was the officer who was shot. He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge confirmed the tragic news during a press briefing.
Sheriff Gulledge mourned the loss of Deputy Cunningham, describing him as a hero. He acknowledged that the incident has left the department and the community in a state of shock and grief.
The suspect, whose identity has not been released, reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A woman involved in the initial domestic dispute had left the scene but returned while police were still present. She had also been shot and was transported to a hospital in the Atlanta area, where she is listed in stable condition.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been tasked with overseeing the investigation into the incident. Major Henson stated that it was not immediately clear whether any of the officers had returned fire. He described the incident as an apparent ambush on the deputies.
Major Henson referred to the incident as a “tremendously tragic situation,” noting that this was the first time the sheriff’s office had lost an officer in the line of duty. He expressed the deep sorrow felt by the department, stating, “Our hearts are broken.”