CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — As a Carroll County sheriff’s deputy fights for his life after being shot in the face, another officer in the same community who was also shot in the line of duty is lifting him up in prayer.
Rob Holloway, a former sergeant for the Carrollton Police Department, was shot in the head by an AK-47 during a high-speed chase in April 2021.
“The bullet came through my windshield and tore the side of my skull open,” said Holloway, who was medically retired from the police department.
On Tuesday, Carroll County investigator Taylor Bristow was shot while serving a search warrant for a child pornography case. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says 40-year-old Christopher Bly pulled out a gun and fired, shooting himself and Bristow. Bly died at the scene.
Bristow was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta where he underwent emergency surgery and remains in the intensive care unit.
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“It became very emotional for me, and to know that he was protecting his community,” Holloway said. “You kind of relive it, but I hate it for our community, and I hate it for his brothers and sisters.”
Holloway spent four months at Grady, followed by months of physical rehabilitation.
“I’m very thankful, and God’s not done with me, he told me that night,” Holloway said. “I still have a purpose and I enjoy every minute.”
He said he’s in constant prayer for Deputy Bristow and his family, and he has this message for them:
“Stay strong and never give up. Continue to pursue the fight, of the journey of the road he’s on to recovery, and keep his eyes on God.”
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The West Georgia First Responders, a non-profit founded about a year ago, is raising money for Bristow and his family.
As of 1 p.m. Thursday, it had raised more than $12,000 dollars.
“It’s been overwhelming,” said Shane Davis, a bail bondsman who started the organization last year.
He will work with the sheriff’s office to identify the family’s needs.
“It can be anything from mortgage assistance to car payments, food, to really kind of meet them where they are,” Davis said.
The organization provides assistance to any first responder, including dispatchers, power line crews and security personnel, suffering from a crisis.
“We basically have a community of people that basically say hey, we’re gonna go out there and we’re gonna risk our lives for you on a daily basis,” he said.
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