Death of Chris Fisher: Community honors slain Georgia officer
Community honors murdered Warm Springs officer
A growing memorial outside the Warm Springs Police Department is honoring Officer Chris Fisher as a tight-knit Georgia community mourns an officer remembered for his humor, friendliness and dedication to the job.
WARM SPRINGS, Ga. - A growing memorial outside the Warm Springs Police Department is honoring 36-year-old Officer Chris Fisher as a tight-knit Georgia community mourns an officer remembered for his humor, friendliness and dedication to the job.
ORIGINAL STORY: Georgia officer ambushed; suspect dead after reportedly shooting self
Fisher was killed in the line of duty late Tuesday night while sitting in his patrol car. On Wednesday, people who knew him shared memories of the officer as investigators continued working to determine what led to the deadly shooting.
"He was always very jovial. He was always cutting jokes," one person who knew Fisher said. "He was always very friendly. And that's what I remember about him most."
GBI employees also lined a street outside the agency's headquarters Wednesday afternoon as a police escort carrying Fisher left the facility.
Officer shot while sitting in patrol car
What we know:
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Fisher was sitting inside his patrol car Tuesday night when 23-year-old Jimmy (Jimmie) Lee Steverson pulled alongside him, opened fire and drove away.
Fisher was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities later located Stevenson in South Carolina. His vehicle was found shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday along an interstate in Anderson.
Authorities said Steverson was a passenger in the vehicle when deputies stopped it. Investigators said he shot himself during the traffic stop and was pronounced dead a short time later.
Two other people were inside the vehicle when it was stopped. The GBI has not said whether they will face charges.
Community mourns devastating loss
What they're saying:
As investigators worked to piece together the circumstances surrounding Fisher's death, attention in Warm Springs turned to the officer and the family, friends and colleagues he left behind.
Flowers and other tributes accumulated outside the police department as residents tried to make sense of the killing.
One community member described the shooting as a "senseless murder" of a man who was simply doing his job and providing for his family.
Another reflected on the dangers officers face each time they report for duty.
"My heart goes out to all of them to pray for their safety," the person said. "Nobody ever knows when they get in their car to do that job or really any job, if they're going to make it home."
Fourth Georgia officer killed in line of duty this year
What we know:
Fisher's death marks the fourth time this year that a Georgia police officer has died from injuries sustained in the line of duty, according to the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police.
Gwinnett County Police Officer Pradeep Tamang was shot and killed Feb. 1. Less than three weeks later, Hahira Police Officer Caleb Abney died after being struck by a vehicle during a traffic stop.
Carrollton Police Officer Dustin Krish died June 9 from injuries suffered nearly a year earlier when a vehicle struck him while he was directing traffic.
Georgia also lost Hall County Deputy Sheriff Betty Uriegas on Aug. 8. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Uriegas' death was attributed to injuries she suffered more than three decades earlier in an on-duty crash on Aug. 17, 1994.
What's next:
This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI Midland Regional Investigative Office at 706-565-7888. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling the GBI Tipline at 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution of anyone else involved.