A fight between an off-duty Coweta County sheriff’s deputy and his teenage cousin last month ended in the deputy’s death.
It started with a threat against the deputy’s pregnant fiancée, according to an arrest warrant obtained Wednesday by AJC.com.
Deputy Edmond Irvin, 25, was shot and killed inside his family’s Snowfall Terrace home in Palmetto the night of April 30. Authorities have accused his 17-year-old cousin, Danny Long, of murder. Long is also accused of threatening to kill Evelyn Roman, who was five months pregnant with Irvin’s son at the time.
RELATED: 17-year-old cousin ID'd as suspect in Coweta deputy's fatal shooting
The teen appeared before a judge Tuesday and waived his right to a preliminary hearing, District Attorney Herb Cranford said. His case will now go to a grand jury for consideration.
While he waits, Long is being held in the Fayette County jail for his protection. His bond has been denied.
Not much is known about the events leading to the shooting. At some point that night, Irvin and his cousin came to blows, according to the GBI, which is leading the investigation at the request of the Palmetto Police Department.
No other details have been released regarding the threats against Roman.
Coweta County Sheriff Lenn Wood told Channel 2 Action News the men were fighting in a back room when “other family in the house heard the shots and saw (Long) run out.” He surrendered when deputies tracked him to a location on Collingsworth Road near I-85 a few hours later.
Irvin was dead at the scene. The deputy, who was honored with a police funeral May 8, had recently been assigned to field duty after serving several years at the county jail.
In the weeks following Irvin's death, Wood said there has been an "outpouring of kindness, prayers and loving support." A fundraising campaign for Irvin's unborn son has raised more than $12,000 of its $20,000 goal. After making her online baby registry public, all but three of Roman's requests were fulfilled. She has everything she needs to welcome "baby boy Irvin" in August — everything but the child's father.
Colleagues described Irvin as a hard worker who put on the badge to give back to his community.
“This was a man who never forgot where he came from and was always willing to help others, he didn’t just come in to do a shift and leave,” Wood said. “He wanted to make a difference.”
About the Author
