Paulding County deputy sheriff shot dead on 911 call near Hiram

Cunningham was the first Paulding sheriff's deputy to be killed in the line of duty. Other local sheriffs, including Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat, Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens and Floyd County Sheriff Dave Roberson, stood behind Gulledge late Saturday night in a show of support.

“I know what Paulding County is, and I know the people here. I know what you're going to do,” Gulledge said. “I ask you to keep this family in your prayers. Even if you're not in the county, I ask you to pray for this family, both blood and blue. Everyone here is hurting.”

According to Major Ashley Henson of the Paulding Sheriff's Office, officers were called to a domestic dispute in the Harmony Creek neighborhood near Virgie Ballentine Drive just before 6:15 p.m. Shots were fired at the first two officers to arrive at the home, one of whom was struck, Henson said.

“It appears our officers were ambushed,” Henson said.

A woman in the house escaped but later returned. She was also shot, Henson said.

The woman, whose name was not released, was in stable condition at a metropolitan Atlanta hospital late Saturday.

It is not known whether any of the officers returned fire at the suspected shooter, Henson said.

The conflict with the suspected shooter lasted until shortly before 10 p.m. Several law enforcement agencies assisted in the incident, including SWAT teams from Paulding, the Cobb police and sheriff's office, and the GBI. The Georgia State Patrol also had patrol officers on the scene, Henson said. Hundreds of police officers were involved, he said.

Shortly before 11 p.m., Henson said the suspected shooter was found dead; he apparently inflicted the gunshot wound on himself. His name was not released.

The GBI will continue to investigate the incident, Henson said.

Cunningham was the fifth Georgia police officer killed in the line of duty this year and the only one killed by gunfire.

“I join all Georgians in mourning the loss of Paulding County Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Cunningham, who lost his life in the line of duty to our state,” U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff wrote in a statement on Sunday. “My prayers are with Deputy Cunningham's family, the Paulding County Sheriff's Office, and all law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe.”