Of the 216 officers across the U.S. killed in the line of duty this year, seven have been from Georgia, according to the Officers Down Memorial Page.
Two of the Georgia deaths came on the same day. On Sept. 29, Fulton County sheriff’s Deputies Kenny Ingram and Anthony White were killed in a crash on I-20 in east Georgia. The deputies were on their way to pick up an inmate from the Augusta area when their Dodge Charger hit the back of a tractor-trailer that was stopped for traffic on I-20, the Georgia State Patrol said.
The funerals for both deputies were held this week.
According to the sheriff’s office, both Ingram, 55, and White, 48, were assigned to the agency’s Law Enforcement Division, which is responsible for transporting inmates to and from the county jail. Ingram worked for the sheriff’s office for nearly 15 years and White’s eight-year work anniversary would have been in December.
“These men had a profound sense of duty throughout their distinguished careers with this agency and for us and this county, the loss of these deputies is devastating,” Sheriff Ted Jackson said in a statement.
In 2019, Georgia lost seven officers and two K-9 officers in the line of duty.
Others killed this year:
Credit: Georgia Law Enforcement Organization
Credit: Georgia Law Enforcement Organization
Jan. 23: Sheldon Gordon Whiteman
On Jan. 23, Long County Deputy Sheldon Gordon Whiteman, 44, was killed during a vehicle pursuit, according to the Long County sheriff. Whiteman was a married father of three.
Officers realized that Whiteman was no longer with them when the pursuit ended near McIntosh County, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Whiteman’s patrol car was found overturned in the woods on Ga. 57 near mile marker 25. He was taken to Liberty Regional Medical Center in Hinesville, where he died, according to media reports.
Whiteman served in law enforcement in Chatham County before joining the Long County Sheriff’s Office in September 2019, the agency said. He had been a certified peace officer since 2016.
Credit: Bibb County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Bibb County Sheriff's Office
March 18: Kenterrous De’Wayne Taylor
Bibb County Deputy Kenterrous Taylor, 27, was killed when he crashed on the way to a burglary call. Taylor lost control of his patrol car, struck a wall and was thrown from the vehicle, according to investigators.
Taylor wrecked about 1:30 a.m. near the intersection of Forsyth Road and Rivoli Drive in Macon. The impact caused the cruiser to overturn, and Taylor was ejected, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
He was a father of three and engaged to be married, according to his obituary.
April 20: Christopher Eric Ewing
Smyrna Officer Christopher Eric Ewing died after being hit by a suspected drunk driver, becoming the first metro Atlanta officer killed this year in the line of duty.
Ewing, 34, was married and had three daughters, according to the police department. After serving 10 years in the Air Force, Ewing joined the Smyrna PD two years ago, working the night shift.
A funeral was held for Ewing at Cobb County’s Truist Park.
The driver accused of hitting Ewing, Robert Lorenzo Cox, is currently free on $100,000 bond.
Credit: Franklin County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Franklin County Sheriff's Office
July 19: Deputy William Garner
Franklin County sheriff’s deputy was killed when he was struck by a vehicle as assisted victims of a separate crash, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Deputy William Garner was 53.
Abdulhafiz Tawfik Abdullahi, 21, of Lawrenceville, was charged with vehicular homicide after the crash, the State Patrol said.
Garner, who lived in Bethlehem, was remembered for his dedication to serving others and his love of dogs.
“Some of the fondest memories of Deputy Garner were spent listening to George Michael’s music with the top down on his Trans Am with his wife by his side and at least one dog joining in the backseat,” his online obituary states.
Credit: Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Credit: Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Sept. 3: Capt. Stan Elrod
A veteran of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, Capt. Stan Elrod died when he was by a vehicle, according to investigators. He was 49.
Elrod, who supervised the DNR’s Region 2 office in Gainesville, was hit by a car while training in Madison County, agency spokesman Mark McKinnon said. Elrod died before troopers arrived at the crash on Hunt Road around 7:40 p.m., according to Georgia State Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Stephanie Stallings. Elrod, of Danielsville, had been with the DNR for 28 years.
Elrod is survived by his wife Julie, sons Levi and Luke, sister Stefanie Kaup and his parents, Julian and Linda Elrod.
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