HENRY COUNTY, Ga -- Georgia officers are preparing to honor a fallen officer who was the last officer to be killed in the line of duty in Georgia in 2018.
Officer Michael Smith of the Henry County Police Department will be honored in a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. in McDonough. Before the funeral, a Henry County police procession will escort Smith and his family to Glen Haven Baptist Church at 345 East Lake Road in McDonough.
After the funeral, a procession from the church to a graveside service will be held that will be limited to Henry County personnel at the request of the family.
Member of the public are asked to line the route from the church down Hwy. 155 onto John Frank Ward Boulevard. It will proceed around the McDonough Square and exit on Zack Hinton Parkway then right onto McGarity Road.
11Alive will live stream both processions and the funeral beginning at 12:00 p.m. on 11Alive.com and YouTube.
Those who wish to line the streets or square should be there around 2:30 p.m.
On December 8, Officer Michael Smith was responding to a person acting strangely at a McDonough area dentist office when the suspect became aggressive. Investigators said that the same bullet that ultimately killed the suspect during the struggle also hit Smith in the face.
After the violent confrontation, he fought to recover from his injuries with a community's prayers and support behind him and his family. But more than two weeks later, Smith died and became Georgia's sixth officer who was fatally injured in the line of duty.
Smith was a husband and father. The department and members of the community are raising money to help his family with expenses.
The official donation account is through The Southern Credit Union in town and, as such, donations can be dropped off at the McDonough location at 2097 Highway 20 West.
The police department is also accepting donations at its precinct offices at 108 S. Zack Hinton Pkwy. in McDonough and 4545 N. Henry Blvd. in Stockbridge.
For those wanting to mail in their contribution, they can send a check made out to Officer Smith Fund to The Southern Credit Union Attn: Officer Smith Fund, P.O. Box 1509, Fayetteville, Georgia 30214.
Finally, donations can go through a GoFundMe crowdfunding account.