ATLANTA — It's been a violent week for law enforcement agencies in metro Atlanta.
A shooting involving officers and an allegedly armed suspect in Gwinnett County Friday marked the fifth incident in the span of a week.
Terry Norris is the Executive Director of the Georgia Sheriff's Association. He described this week as tragic and traumatic.
"They wake up in the morning. They put on their uniform. They want to come home safely," Norris said.
Spalding County Dep. Brandon Cunningham and Carroll County Deputy Taylor Bristow did not make it home this week.
A spokesperson for the Spalding County Sheriff's Office said James Atkins shot Cunningham and then died by suicide after Cunningham responded to a domestic dispute last Saturday.
A representative with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office said Bristow was serving a warrant when the suspect, Christopher Blye, opened fire, and then Blye died by suicide.
Carroll County faced another violent episode Thursday when a suspect fired a shotgun at deputies during a traffic stop in the Whitesburg community. The suspect, Brenton Morrison, allegedly fled on foot and fired at pursuing deputies.
Friday, Brayden Hemphill, 17, was shot and killed by Gwinnett County Police after the Georgia Bureau of Investigations said he charged at officers with a knife during a mental health crisis.
Lastly, on Saturday, an armed man was shot by Newton County deputies when he was accused of pointing a handgun at deputies.
Mike Puglese is a former law enforcement officer who's now an attorney for men and women in blue.
"Officers have a very difficult job. And it gets increasingly worse," Puglese said. "Mental health is on the rise."
In Hemphill's case, the department's behavioral health unit did step in. However, the case has led to public scrutiny about how quickly officers resorted to gunfire. Norris said uproar on social media does take a toll on officers.
"It does impact everyone in the sense that we hear those things," Norris said.
He added that the overall impact of these shootings changes the tone of the departments.
"It's very damaging to the morale," Norris said.
Puglese said, on top of the judgment, the police are put under the microscope by investigating agencies.
"Is it frustrating? Is it stressful? Absolutely. It is," Puglese said. "You're recalling every detail of something that happened in a split-second."
All the while, the department is still grieving. Norris said that sometimes, agencies may be unable to handle it alone.
"Sheriffs will send deputies to handle the calls in that particular county until everybody can get back to work because it's a traumatic experience," Norris said.
Norris said officers don't want to hurt anyone, even with danger at every turn. And though people may be sharing their opinions, not only do deputies feel the majority of the public supports them, but they also have the support of law enforcement across the state.
"When this happens to anybody in law enforcement, everybody comes together," Norris said.
The GBI is still investigating these cases.