Sea of red, white, and blue honors Warm Springs officer killed in line of duty
Chief mourns fallen officer at funeral
Hundreds of law enforcement officers gathered at Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville to pay their final respects to Warm Springs Police Sergeant Christopher Fisher, according to authorities.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - Georgia law enforcement officers and community members gathered Tuesday at Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville to pay their final respects to Warm Springs Sgt. Christopher Fisher, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week.
Georgia police funeral
What we know:
Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across the state attended the funeral service in Fayetteville to honor the fallen sergeant. His casket arrived at Flat Creek Baptist Church inside a police SWAT vehicle before the service wrapped up Tuesday afternoon.
Following the service, a massive procession of police vehicles escorted the body along Highway 54 and left onto Jeff Davis Road, heading to Mowell Funeral Home.
How to help officer's family
What you can do:
A GoFundMe has been created to help Fisher's wife and two daughters as they prepare to bury him.
To see the fundraiser, click here.
Georgia officer killed in line of duty
The backstory:
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 23-year-old Jimmy Lee Steverson pulled alongside Fisher's patrol car late Sept. 1, opened fire and sped away.
Fisher died at the scene.
Officials have not yet confirmed what motivated the shooting.
Authorities tracked Steverson's vehicle to Anderson, South Carolina, shortly after 11 a.m. on Sept. 2.
Investigators said Steverson was a passenger during a traffic stop when he shot himself, dying a short time later.
Fisher's death marks the fourth time a Georgia officer died from line-of-duty injuries this year, according to the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police.
Warm Springs chief statement
What they're saying:
Gov. Brian Kemp has ordered flags across several areas of Georgia to be at half staff on Tuesday in honor of Sgt. Fisher.
Previous stories:
- Georgia officer's death: Fisher arrested suspected killer days before
- Warm Springs police officer killed, manhunt underway
- Georgia officer ambushed; suspect dead from gunshot in SC
- Death of Chris Fisher: Community honors slain Georgia officer
Warm Springs Interim Chief of Police Matthew Mayfield spoke about the heavy emotional toll the loss has taken on his department.
"It's extremely difficult. I have dreaded this day. If I told you that I wanted to wake up and put this uniform on and do this today, I'd be lying to you. I've dreaded it. We've all dreaded it. But at the same time, I am looking forward to it, to move on in just the instance of healing and celebrating Sergeant Fisher," Mayfield said.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, who provided funeral and procession logistics, as well as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police. FOX 5's Larry Spruill reported live from outside the funeral. This article has been updates since it was originally published.