Paulding County Deputy Brandon Cunningham died trying to serve his community.
“It’s just a shame that for no reason he lost his life,” Major Ashley Henson said Monday. “He was trying to go help.”
Cunningham was responding to a call reporting alleged domestic violence Saturday night when he was gunned down in a neighborhood near Hiram. He was getting out of a patrol car when he was ambushed, according to investigators. He was 30.
Investigators believe James Samuel Atkins, 42, shot his wife before firing at two deputies who arrived at his Foggy Creek Lake home. After an hours-long standoff involving multiple metro-area law enforcement agencies, Atkins was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot late Saturday, police said.
Cunningham was the first Paulding deputy killed in the line of duty. On Monday, flowers and notes were being placed on a patrol car outside the sheriff’s office.
Tom and Linda Bohnn were among those who stopped by to pay their respects.
“We love him,” Tom Bohnn said. “What more can you ask of a man to give his life for his brother, and he did.”
His wife echoed those sentiments.
“Our police officers go to work every day, and they should be able to go home to their families,” Linda Bohnn said. “We know it’s a broken world. But we just pray for his loved ones and we pray for the community and this world that the light of Jesus could be what shines. We want to honor him and honor his life and honor his service.”
The deputy’s death quickly made national headlines. Locally, the Paulding Public Safety Appreciation group was accepting donations for Cunningham’s family and is selling T-shirts and bracelets to honor the deputy who is being remembered as a hero.
“He was a great guy. He was always smiling. A good man taken way too soon,” Henson said. “The outpouring of support has been monumental and we’re so blessed to have such a great community.”
The two-story home where Cunningham was killed remained boarded up Monday after SWAT teams used armored vehicles, robots, and drones to force their way inside.
Neighbors gathered outside on the usually quiet street were still processing what happened and didn’t want their names published. One said she had heard the couple who lived in the home argue, but she never imagined Atkins could be violent.
A woman who identified herself as Atkins’ aunt said he’d been a good man known for his meticulous yard and willingness to help others, but was troubled.
”He had his problems. But he was a good guy,” one neighbor said.
How to Help the Cunningham Family
Those wishing to help Deputy Cunningham’s family can donate through the Paulding Public Safety Appreciation, Inc. (PPSA). PPSA is a 501(c)3 non-profit; all donations are tax-deductible. The PPSA President can be reached at [email protected] or 706-622-7011.
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