A Georgia police officer was shot and killed while working his first shift on Saturday, leaving behind a wife and 6-month-old baby.
Dylan Harrison, 26, was shot and killed outside of the Alamo police station around 1 a.m. Saturday, Georgia Bureau of Investigation [GBI] spokeswoman Natalie Ammons said at a news conference.
Harrison, a native of Dudley, was working his first part-time shift with the Alamo Police Department when he was killed. He had been working in law enforcement since 2018 and was also employed full time with the GBI drug task force in Eastmond, authorities said.
Law enforcement didn’t give details about what led to the shooting, however they have named a suspect: 43-year-old Damian Ferguson, who also goes by Luke Ferguson.
GBI has offered a $17,500 reward for any information leading to Ferguson’s arrest. Authorities also issued a statewide “blue alert,” issued as a warning of suspect on the loose who has killed an officer and may be a danger to the community.
“Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Ferguson or with any information you think may be pertinent to this investigation should contact us,” Ammons said.
The investigation remains “very active,” she said.
Harrison’s body was taken to a GBI crime lab for an autopsy, officials added.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp offered his condolences to Harrison’s family and the Alamo police department in a tweet Saturday.
“Early this morning, one of our law enforcement officials in Middle Georgia was killed in the line of duty,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with this officer’s family, friends, and colleagues at the Alamo Police Department.”
The Georgia Department of Public Safety said in a tweet it was “deeply saddened” by the officer’s death, sending “thoughts and prayers to the Officer’s family, blood and blue.”