(DailyAnswer.org) – A deputy sheriff in Georgia was killed over the weekend after responding to a call about a domestic dispute and officials say it looks like he was ambushed.
On Saturday, Aug. 17, 30-year-old Brandon Cunningham died in the hospital after suffering severe injuries from the altercation in Hiram, Georgia. Cunningham served as a deputy for the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement to reporters, Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge said Cunningham “was a great deputy” and “a good young man.”
Around 6:15 PM, two deputies arrived at a residence on Foggy Creek Lane in response to a domestic dispute report. As soon as they arrived at the house and opened the door to their patrol vehicle, shots were fired at the deputies. When more deputies showed up at the scene, they were also fired upon by someone inside the home.
Cunningham was struck during the incident and quickly rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. According to Paulding County Sheriff’s Major Ashley Henson, it appeared that the “deputies were ambushed.”
A woman, who left the home earlier and later returned, was found wounded in the shoulder and taken to the hospital in critical condition yet is reportedly stable. When a SWAT team arrived and entered the residence, the shooter was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound.
Investigators later identified the shooter as James Samuel Atkins, who had a criminal history and served time in county jail for robbery and drug possession. Reporters spoke with his brother who said Atkins “his brother battled demons.” The woman was identified as 52-year-old Kim Tau Vu, who was married to Atkins, and the two had fought before but his family did not expect what happened. Atkins’ brother said their family were all gun owners, which wasn’t unusual, and that they grew up hunting.
The SWAT team used armored trucks to enter the home, as well as drones and robots to assist in making entry. The house was badly damaged from the incident. It was also revealed that the gunshot wound suffered by Atkins was self-inflicted.
Cunningham’s funeral procession was on Monday, Aug. 19. He was a father of two.
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