LOCAL UPDATE: Deputy returns to surgery year after surviving shooting that killed Georgia officer
Nearly a year after surviving a shooting that killed a police officer, a Henry County deputy is back in the hospital because of medical complications, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Deputy Ralph Sidwell "Sid" Callaway was one of the three law enforcement officers shot on Feb. 9, 2018, while attempting to arrest a man who failed to appear for a traffic violation, AJC.com previously reported. Deputy Michael Corley survived as well, but Locust Grove police Officer Chase Maddox died in the shootout, which also killed 39-year-old suspect Tierre Guthrie.
MORE: Locust Grove officer remembered for dedication to family, work
Callaway was hit just below his bulletproof vest and needed emergency surgery, but he entered surgery again Friday at Atlanta Medical Center after scar tissue caused a blockage, his wife told Channel 2.
“I’ve never seen anyone in that much pain — never,” Luann Callaway, his wife, said. “We really thought it was over.”
Atlanta Medical Center is the same hospital Sid Callaway was flown to after being shot in February. Luann Callaway said he had been in a different hospital for the past week because of the complications.
RELATED: Second Henry Co. deputy heads home after shooting that killed Chase Maddox
He was transferred so the surgeon who helped treat him last year can try to help him again, she told the news station.
“He’s so brave. He’s the bravest man I’ve ever known, of course, next to Chase Maddox and so many of our military” Luann Callaway said.
Maddox, 26, died four days before his wife delivered their second child, AJC.com previously reported. Hundreds of people, including law enforcement officers from across Georgia, attended his funeral on Feb. 17, 2018.
Luann Callaway, who is a trauma counselor, told Channel 2 the past year has been incredibly hard on her and her husband, but their Christian faith has helped sustain them.
“I’m asking for prayer — we’re not bitter,” she said. “That’s what we’re depending on.”
She said her husband is a reserve deputy and his full-time job is with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
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About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
