CARROLLTON, Ga. — A Carrollton Police officer who was shot in the head during a traffic stop received a hero's homecoming Wednesday, July 14.
Sgt. Rob Holloway came home Wednesday morning after more than three months of recovery at the Shepherd Center.
Holloway, who has been hospitalized since the shooting, was one of the three officers shot in a police chase on April 12.
Three officers in all were hurt when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said two suspects shot at them during the chase that crossed several cities.
He was admitted to the Shepherd Center intensive care unit on April 26 and moved to the hospital's Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program, where he received therapy with a team of specialists. He was transferred there from Grady Hospital.
Holloway was escorted by police. They began their journey from the center back to Carrollton around 11 a.m.
Photos: Carrollton Police leaves hospital to emotional homecoming
The procession made its way down Interstate 20 to Highway 61 at Villa Rica and through Adamson Square where the community was invited to stand along the route and welcome him home. It ended on Northside Drive.
"... . Your bravery and dedication to serve will never go unnoticed or unrecognized. Your sacrifice is more appreciated than you will ever be able to imagine," one dispatcher said during an emotional radio call.
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The community was ecstatic to welcome him back.
"We canceled and we said we can't be at anything today except Rob's homecoming," one woman told 11Alive as she waved a flag in her hand. "So we're just so happy ... we're going to love him all we can."
11Alive's Maura Sirini said tons of people in the town square said they've met Holloway while he was on duty, through his son and family.
Previous coverage
This all started with an attempted traffic stop when a trooper spotted a car going 111 mph on Interstate 20 that day. After the car was stopped, it sped off and a chase began with the state trooper. After a PIT maneuver, the driver regained control of the car and the passenger leaned out of the window and began firing shots at the trooper using an AK47. His patrol car became disabled.
The two men in the car, 22-year-old Aaron Jajuan Shelton and 28-year-old Pier Alexander Shelton are cousins from Birmingham, Ala., the GBI said.
According to warrants, Aaron Jajuan Shelton was the getaway driver during the chase. Pier Alexander Shelton was shot and killed by authorities.