Deputy shot in failed Forsyth courthouse takeover returns to work
The deputy hailed as a hero for getting in between a heavily armed Cumming man and the courthouse he intended to seize has returned to work.
Daniel Rush was shot in the leg in June 2014 after 48-year-old Dennis Marx, wearing two bulletproof vests and a gas mask, drove his SUV up to the Forsyth County courthouse steps, tossing out homemade smoke grenades, pepper spray and spike sticks in an effort to keep law enforcement at bay.
“It would be a guess to think how many lives he (the deputy) saved had he not engaged him right there,” Forsyth Sheriff Duane Piper said at the time. “Mr. Marx’s intention was to get inside that front door and to take hostages.”
The sheriff's office announced Rush's return on its Facebook page.
“Deputy Rush is extremely grateful for the concern that the community has shown for him during his recovery,” the post stated. “We still have people frequently ask how he is doing, a year and a half after the shooting.”
Rush, a 25-veteran of the force, was conducting a routine sweep of the grounds when he engaged Marx, who shot the deputy through the windshield of a rented Nissan Armada. A gunfight ensued, and Marx was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rush sustained a fractured tibia and fibula, requiring multiple surgeries and a prolonged rehabilitation process.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
