CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — On Tuesday morning, multiple law enforcement agencies descended on a home just south of Carrollton to execute a search warrant.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said the search warrant was served at the home on Don Rich Drive in connection to an ongoing child exploitation investigation.
At some point after law enforcement surrounded the home, a shooting happened. The Carroll County Sheriff's confirmed in a social media post that just before 10 a.m., one of their deputies had been shot.
About four hours later, the sheriff's office identified the deputy as Investigator Taylor Bristow. He's been with the sheriff's office since September 2018 after leaving the Waycross Police Department, where he worked for two years.
Waycross Police Chief Tommy Cox said the news of Deputy Bristow being hurt hit him hard.
"It hits me and it hits every other officer down here that’s worked with him," Chief Cox said. "It's like a punch in the gut."
Chief Cox said he was the commander over uniform patrol at the time Bristow worked for the agency.
"There's one thing that always jumps out at you about Taylor; he is what I would define as being a professional. I mean, he was professional in every aspect his duties with us. No doubt he was a blessing to the community while he served here with us," Chief Cox explained.
Chief Cox said their agency learned from some of Bristow's family, who still live in the area, about the shooting on Tuesday morning.
"It hits you, and it hits you hard, and then you turn to prayer for obviously him and his family for everything they’re going through right now," Chief Cox said.
He said while Bristow has been gone from the agency for a few years, the bond one forms while working side-by-side in law enforcement never wavers.
Chief Cox said when he got the word of Bristow being shot, it was like it happened to a family member.
"It was absolutely devastating," he explained.
While he and law enforcement across the state continue to pray for a full recovery, he said one thing is for certain: Deputy Bristow was called to this job.
"If there is somebody that is built for law enforcement and built for this profession, it would be Taylor Bristow," Chief Cox stated.
As of Tuesday evening, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office wasn't able to share an update on Deputy Bristow's condition. He underwent extensive surgery and is in the ICU. The extent of his injuries is unclear, but sources tell 11Alive he was shot in the head. The sheriff's office said Deputy Bristow did undergo a CT scan but didn't share the results.
The GBI said the suspect in Tuesday's shooting is dead. The agency is leading the investigation.