A Spalding County deputy was released from the hospital Tuesday, four days after he was shot in the line of duty.

Deputy Joe Buice, a former Lamar County sheriff, was shot Friday afternoon when he and two other deputies responded to a call for a man attempting to commit suicide, police said.

The gunman, 38-year-old Michael Stringer, allegedly shot Buice in the face. Deputies then shot Stringer, who died at the scene.

Buice was transported to Grady hospital, where he underwent surgery over the weekend. He is expected to recover from his injuries.

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Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC