COVINGTON, Ga. — The family of a Covington police officer who was shot in the head last week can finally rest after he returned home over Memorial Day weekend.
Officer Rashad Rivers was shot while he was responding to a domestic call at the OYO Hotel last Tuesday.
He was confronted by a man with a gun, who was later identified as 23-year-old Treyvorius Stodghill.
The two eventually began firing at each other, with Rashad being shot in the head.
His brother, Shaquille, remembered finding out about the shooting when Rashad texted him from the hospital.
Shaquille felt grateful to see his brother again during his visit.
"I got to hug him. I got to hold him," he said.
Shaquille explained that it had been quite some time since they saw each other before Rashad was shot. Shaquille is a truck driver and is always on the road, making it hard for him to get time off.
"I just hate that when I do get to see him that it's always something tragic," he stated.
Shaquille was in awe at the amount of police officers that showed up to support his brother. The police department even came to escort him home
"It was just amazing, like just the recognition that they came and out of support...that alone was enough for me," Shaquille said.
He calls Rashad, who was a former corrections officer and loves serving his community, a true leader and a father of three.
Shaquille added that, although his brother is still in pain, he is still unable to smile, the support and love he has felt made him emotional.
"He was still trying to smile, even though he couldn't because of his jaw being wired. But, I can see it in his face in a couple of those pictures," Shaquille said.