HIRAM, GA – Deputy Brandon Cunningham of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office lost his life at the age of 30 in a violent incident on Saturday evening that transpired in Hiram, Georgia. A distressing domestic dispute call became fatal when the responding deputy was shot. The assailant later committed suicide in the house where he had barricaded himself. The incident also injured a woman who is now being treated at a local hospital and is in critical condition.
The fatal incident occurred in a house located in the Harmony Creek subdivision just off Bill Carruth Parkway near Virgie Ballentine Drive at around 6:15 p.m. Saddened by the first-ever line of duty death in the history of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Gary Gulledge asked for support from the community and prayer for the affected families during a press conference.
Cunningham joined the sheriff’s office in 2020 and had been stationed at the uniformed patrol division for two years. The Phoenix native, celebrated as a hard-working and dedicated deputy, is survived by his two young children. Earlier this year, Cunningham graduated from the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy Basic Mandate Class No. 339.
Deputies responding to the domestic dispute call were met with gunfire as soon as they arrived at the site. Major Ashley Henson of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office described the situation as an ambush scenario. Following the shooting, Deputy Cunningham was immediately transported to WellStar Paulding Medical Center, where he unfortunately succumbed to his wounds. A woman who had left the premises and subsequently returned was found injured from a gunshot wound.
In response to Deputy Cunningham’s shooting, law enforcement agencies from around Georgia, including SWAT teams, came to aid the situation.
After the entry of the SWAT team into the house, the assailant was discovered dead from an apparent suicide. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has now been enlisted to investigate the incident.