Veteran Ga. Police Officer Dies Less Than Week after Shooting that Killed 3

March 14, 2025
Chickamauga Police Officer Charles Dunn III was critically wounded in a shooting at a home that killed three people, and Dunn, who was off duty, "appeared to have engaged the shooter."

A northwest Georgia police officer died Thursday night, less than a week after he was critically injured in a murder-suicide that left three people dead, officials said.

Chickamauga police Officer Charles Dunn III, 52, was off duty and at the Rock Spring home where Russell David Payne, 54, of Marietta, is accused of opening fire Saturday, killing his estranged wife, Jacklyn D. Payne, 54, and her father, Eugene “Jack” Denny, 79. Russell Payne then took his own life, according to authorities.

The area is just a few miles south of Chickamauga and about 14 miles from the Tennessee border in Walker County.

Dunn was a longtime friend of Jacklyn Payne and Denny, Walker Sheriff Steve Wilson previously said.

Sponsored Recommendations

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Officer, create an account today!