Georgia State Trooper killed in the line of duty identified

ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Public Safety has identified the trooper killed in the line of duty Sunday afternoon.

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According to officials, on Sunday, the trooper identified as Jimmy Cenescar was trying to stop a motorcycle for a traffic violation on Interstate 85 North near Old Peachtree Road in Gwinnett County.

Georgia State Patrol said Cenescar’s patrol car left the roadway and hit an embankment in Gwinnett County.

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First responders came to the scene and attempted life-saving measures.

Cenescar was rushed to Northside Gwinnett Hospital, where he passed away.

Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted about the trooper’s death, referring to Cenescar as “Georgia’s finest.”

Channel 2′s Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson spoke to Cenescar’s fiance and father off-camera, who are both devastated.

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Cenescar has been with the Georgia Department of Public Safety since January 2023 and was a graduate of the 114th Trooper School. He spent three years with Atlanta Police before then.

In 2021, Atlanta police celebrated Censcar’s heroics and released body camera video from when he rescued someone who drove off a bridge.

He used his patrol car to ram a gate and get to the driver 50 feet below.

“My training kicked in and I just took action and took control of the scene,” Cenescar said at the time.

Now, his family is planning his funeral.

It’s unclear if the driver Cenescar was chasing has been taken into custody. That person has not been identified.

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