‘I’m sorry to the officer’s family:’ Brother of suspect who killed Paulding Co. deputy speaks out

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office identified 42-year-old James Atkins as the man who shot and killed 30-year-old Deputy Brandon Cunningham Saturday evening at Atkins’ home on Foggy Creek Lane.

Channel 2′s Christian Jennings was back at the home Sunday when she ran into Ernie Atkins. He said it was his brother who shot and killed Cunningham.

“First I just want to say I’m sorry to the officer’s family, that they’re going through what they’re going through. We’re praying for his family and we’re devastated by this loss,” said Atkins. “This is horrible for everyone. We’re sorry to everyone who is involved. And we’re praying for everyone and we need your prayers as well.”

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Investigators say James (Jimmy) Atkins, ambushed officers when they pulled up to the home in the Harmony Creek subdivision of Hiram.

Cunningham and his partner were there for a domestic dispute call.

The sheriff’s office says Atkins shot Cunningham as he was getting out of his patrol car.

Then, Atkins shot his wife, 52-year-old Kim Vu, as she tried to leave. Ernie Atkins and his family had just left the hospital, visiting her, when he spoke with Channel 2 Action News.

“She’s going to survive. She’s stable. She’s in pain. She’s devastated and she needs our prayers,” Atkins said.

Ring camera footage from a neighbor shows the hundreds of officers that responded Saturday evening.

Ernie Atkins says his brother called their dad at the time.

“I think he told my dad he had shot his wife and shot an officer. He told him then he hung up on my dad,” he said.

Deputies say Atkins eventually shot and killed himself.

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Now, the community is rallying behind the family of Brandon Cunningham. Cunningham had been with PCSO since 2020.

“His smile, that’s what I’ll remember, he was always smiling and always kind, just a nice guy,” said Major Ashley Henson, with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.

Cunningham, who graduated from Marietta High School, leaves behind two young children. One is in elementary school, the other is in middle school.

“These children will never have a father at their wedding, never have a father at their graduation,” said Henson.

That’s where the Paulding Public Safety Appreciation nonprofit comes in.

In less than 24 hours, the group raised more than $20,000 in t-shirt sales in honor of Cunningham.

The money will go directly to his family.

“We’ve got to do what we can to wrap our arms around these children,” said Major Henson.

The sheriff’s office will have a patrol car out front Monday in honor of the deputy, so people can come by and pay their respects.

If anyone would like to donate monetarily to Deputy Cunningham’s family, it can be done through Paulding Public Safety Appreciation, Inc. (PPSA), here.

Funeral arrangements for Deputy Cunningham have not been made yet.

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