HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Law enforcement officers in Henry County are coming together to help an officer who was shot in the line of duty leaving him permanently disabled.
Henry County Police Detective Taylor Webb said he's grateful for the support of the other men and women who serve the county. He said they stepped in to fill the gap when his own department would not.
Webb's wife was six months pregnant when he was shot in the line of duty in 2019. He said his two-year-old son Tristan has pulled him through some difficult times after he had to leave work on disability.
Now, he's in a legal battle – suing the county because he said it won't continue to cover worker's compensation.
"You feel really disappointed and let down. I couldn't believe the lack of assistance we were getting. I couldn't believe how close we came to losing everything," he said.
Webb's pay stubs show that he hasn't been paid in two months.
He said his doctors told him can't work because of his injury, and it is painful for him to be away from a job he loved. It's a pain Henry County Sheriff's Deputy Sid Callaway knows all too well.
"I'm still having everyday problems. Four years later, I am still having everyday complications that keep me from getting back where I was. I struggle every single day," Callaway said.
Callaway was also shot in the line of duty back in 2018. While he said the sheriff's department has been supportive, he's still struggling.
"At first, you get all sorts of attention. You get medical attention, you get department attention, from the department, whoever, however, the media, then, things go away. Life gets back to normal for everyone else but you," he said.
Callaway said that's why he wanted to help when he saw Webb struggling. He asked another former officer to help rebuild Taylor's front steps – to make it safe for him and his family.
"Why in the world would they let a community hero, a public servant who is sworn to protect and serve and has done it and has a record, let them go like they have – without benefit, without pay, without responding to his calls. It's incomprehensible that this happened," he said.
Steve Cash has also worked in law enforcement and as a state representative in Henry County. He said Georgia's worker's comp system needs to be fixed.
"The system is broken, it's broken. A state legislator needs to come up with something that's better, that would take care of our LEO and FF heroes," Cash said.
Webb agrees and said he doesn't know where he would be without the help from these other law enforcement members.
"The only reason I didn't lose my house was because of my neighbors, my coworkers I worked next to every day, the citizens of Henry County stepped up because the county didn't do anything," Webb said.
11Alive has reached out to the agency that administers worker's comp in Georgia– the Associated County Commissioners of Georgia. Officials have not yet responded to inquiries.