The body of Henry County Police Officer Michael Smith was solemnly escorted to a Henry County funeral home after his death on Friday by a row of Henry County Police vehicles.
Officer Smith passed away early Friday at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta from complications related to a shooting in the line of duty on December 8.
The video showing the escort was supplied by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as the procession departed GBI Headquarters on Friday.
Smith was at a dental office in McDonough when he was injured by a gunshot which also killed the subject.
In an announcement, Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman asked the public to keep the Smith family in their prayers.
"It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Officer Michael Smith. Michael Smith passed this morning at about 4:30 at Atlanta's Piedmont Hospital from injuries he sustained in the line of duty from a gunshot wound," Amerman said. "I want to thank the public for all their thoughts and prayers for the Department and for Michael. Please continue to pray for Michael's family during this difficult time."
Smith had been transferred to the Shepherd Center earlier in December. After that, the family suffered another setback when Smith's wife fell and hit her head while visiting her husband at rehab at the Shepherd Center.
She had to undergo an emergency procedure which was successful, Amerman said at the time, but she would have to spend several days in the hospital.
Henry Co. police officer in critical condition after getting shot in the face
"Truly the Smith family is being tested, so I'm asking the community to please continue to send your thoughts and prayers to the...family," Amerman said.
Funeral services for Smith are pending and will be announced at a later point.
A GoFundMe account has been established to assist the family.
It has been a grim year for law enforcement in Georgia. 2018 will go down in the record books as the deadliest year for officer-involved shootings in the state, according to statistics from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.