Officer killed in home accident 1 month before retiring in Georgia. ‘My heart hurts’
A veteran police officer died in a home accident in Georgia just one month before retiring, leaving his community shattered, his police department said.
George Padgett was one of the original officers when the Henry County Police Department formed in 1991, according to the department’s Oct. 17 news release.
After 34 years of service to the county, Padgett was set to retire in November, the release said.
“George was killed in an accident at his home on Friday night,” police said. “Rest easy brother, we have the watch from here.”
Police did not specify how Padgett died.
Hundreds of people shared their thoughts and condolences on the police department’s post, including a woman who met Padgett because of her son.
“He was absolutely precious … His heart and convictions led my son to jail, rehab and now our boy is doing amazingly well,” she said. “Officer Padgett was a 10 chance kind of guy as far as dealing with youth and was such a gentle yet firm man. He gave solid, relatable advice. My heart hurts that he is gone.”
Other police departments and family friends paid their respects to Padgett as well.
Family friend Missy Chapman Humphries said that the countdown to Padgett’s retirement started two years ago.
“When we got the call last night that we lost our dear friend George Padgett. I did a u-turn immediately and began to cry while we were rushing to his house to get to his wife,” Humphries wrote on Facebook. “This has hit my heart hard. If you were a friend of George’s, you knew it. He would do anything for you.”
There will a visitation in McDonough, and his funeral will be held on Oct. 21, according to the Henry County Police Department.
McDonough is about 30 miles southeast of Atlanta.
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Officer killed in home accident 1 month before retiring in Georgia. ‘My heart hurts’."
