DeKalb officer becomes 4th from Georgia killed in line of duty this year

“We answer the call to serve our community, and he gave his life with a commitment to serve others, and he should be respected for that,” Padrick said.

Rose was a married father of two with a third child on the way, DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said Friday night.

The DeKalb officer became the fourth from Georgia killed in the line of duty this year. Georgia is now third in the nation for officer deaths behind California with 10 and Texas with five, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page which tracks law enforcement deaths.

The DeKalb police department has now lost 33 officers, according to the Officer Down page. The last DeKalb officer to die on the job was Sgt. Daniel Mobley, who was struck by a vehicle on Jan. 2, 2021.

Mobley, a 22-year veteran of the department, was hit by a car about 9 a.m. while responding to a crash involving another DeKalb officer near the Williams Street exit. He was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, but did not survive. Mobley was 44.

Nationwide, 51 officers have died in the line of duty in 2025. Earlier this year, three other Georgia officers were killed in separate incidents.

Credit: Family photo

Credit: Family photo

April 26: Columbia County Deputy Brandon Sikes was shot during a traffic stop along I-20, according to investigators. A second deputy, Gavin White, was critically injured in the shooting.

Investigators were attempting to serve a warrant on James Montgomery when he opened fire. He was later found dead inside his camper, according to police.

Sikes was a seven-year veteran of the department. He is survived by his wife, who also worked for the department, and a daughter.

Credit: South Fulton police

Credit: South Fulton police

April 16: Lt. Helio Garcia with the South Fulton police department was killed in a head-on crash on Flat Shoals Road. He was 47.

Garcia had joined the department in 2018, the year it was formed, and was remembered for his leadership and devotion to his family. He was the first South Fulton officer killed in the line of duty.

At his funeral service, Garcia was promoted to captain by Chief Keith Meadows.

“For your ultimate sacrifice to the city of South Fulton, Georgia, we are reminded not only of the life you gave, but the unwavering devotion that led you to serve,” Meadows said.

Credit: Roswell Police Department

Credit: Roswell Police Department

Feb. 7: Roswell police Officer Jeremy Labonte was shot at a shopping complex on Market Boulevard while responding to a call, according to investigators. He was 24.

Edward Espinoza, 23, who allegedly fired several shots at the officer, was later arrested and charged with murder.

Labonte is survived by his wife. Hundreds attended the funeral service for the officer.

“One word that I heard repeatedly more often than the others is the word ‘kind,’” Roswell police Chief James Conroy said. “Things like this seem to happen to the good ones. And Jeremy was one of the good ones.”