Ga. police lieutenant killed in head-on crash

By Alexis Stevens
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTA — A South Fulton police lieutenant was killed in a head-on crash while on duty Tuesday night, the department said.

Lt. Helio Garcia was driving his patrol vehicle on Flat Shoals Road near Connell Road when another driver veered into his lane and struck him, police told Channel 2 Action News.

“Lt. Garcia was a dedicated officer, a respected leader, and a friend to many within the South Fulton Police Department ,” the department said in a social media post. “His commitment to protecting and serving this community was unwavering, and his legacy will live on through the lives he touched both in and out of uniform.”

The crash remained under investigation early Wednesday.

“We extend our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and all who served alongside him,” South Fulton police said. “Please keep Lt. Garcia’s family and our department in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this devastating loss. Rest easy, sir. We have the watch from here.”

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On his Facebook page, Garcia described himself as a “Man of God, father, husband, grandfather, protector and hero.”

Garcia was the first South Fulton officer to die in the line of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page that tracks law enforcement deaths. The department previously lost a K-9 on Nov. 17, 2023 , when the dog was shot when officers fired at an aggravated assault suspect who was believed to be armed, police previously said.

The South Fulton officer is the second in Georgia to be killed in the line of duty this year.

On Feb. 7 , Roswell police Officer Jeremy Labonte was shot and killed while responding to a call. He was 24. Labonte was investigating a report of a suspicious person off Holcomb Bridge Road when he was shot by 23-year-old Edward Espinoza , according to to investigators.

Espinoza was arrested and charged with murder, aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer and possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony.

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