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Gov. Kemp orders flags to be at half-staff in Spalding County in honor of honor of fallen deputy

Kemp ordered the state flag and the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol building and in Spalding County on Jan. 5.

SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has ordered flags to fly at half-staff Friday in honor of fallen Spalding County deputy Sgt. Marc McIntyre.

Sgt. McIntyre, 55, was shot and killed in the line of duty on the night of Dec. 29 while responding to a domestic disturbance and welfare check at a home along Vineyard Road in Griffin. 

Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix previously said McIntyre worked for the sheriff's office for around 12 years. 

"He would call your name across the parking lot just to say hey to you," Dix previously said. "He lit up a room when he walked in; he had a command presence about him, and the people that worked with him on his shift, they loved him."

McIntyre was also a combat veteran of the U.S. Army. 

"It is fitting and proper to recognize Sergeant McIntyre's service to Spalding County, the State of Georgia, and the United States of America by lowering the flags on the State Capitol building and in Spalding County to half-staff," Kemp's executive order read in part. 

Credit: The Von Roretz Family
Sgt. Marc McIntyre, Spalding County

RELATED: Sheriff's deputy shot and killed in Spalding County identified by authorities

Last Saturday, dozens gathered in Griffin to pay their respects to Sgt. McIntyre. 

Flynn Von Roretz, who said he had known McIntyre for eight years, added he was committed to serving the community. 

"Recently, he resuscitated a homeless guy," Von Roretz added, "And he did that like three or four weeks ago. And he got an award and everything for doing that. He's been (dragged) by other people, like physically (dragged) hundreds of feet."

A funeral service for McIntyre will also be held on Friday, Jan. 5. You can find the full details online here.

Credit: WXIA

RELATED: 'Devastating loss': Loved ones remember deputy tragically killed in the line of duty at emotional vigil

MORE ABOUT THE CASE

Two deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic incident at a home in Griffin. When they arrived and crossed the yard, deputies said, Todd Harper, a 57-year-old military veteran, fired at them from a window with a shotgun. 

Sgt. Marc McIntyre was shot in the head and later died from the critical injury, while the second deputy suffered a broken hand. 

Dix said Harper's wife had called 911, reporting that he had threatened her, leading to the confrontation. Deputies had been to Harper's house multiple times before, including a previous incident in January 2021 where he barricaded himself but didn't fire shots, adding that he had a history of mental health struggles. 

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