Henry County's police chief plans to call it quits at the end of the month.

Russell Abernathy, a lifelong resident of Henry County, has held the top post since Feb. 2005.

In 1997, Abernathy retired from the Georgia State Patrol following 30 years of service. He was later employed as a consultant for the Carl Vinson Institute at the University of Georgia.

Abernathy, 64, said he plans to spend more time with his family in Tennessee.

The county manager is expected to name an interim chief, spokeswoman Julie Hoover-Ernst said.

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Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. It was the first day the Federal Aviation Administration cut flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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