Sheriff says officer shot, killed during Paulding SWAT standoff was act of ‘pure evil’

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — Paulding County’s Sheriff says the murder of a 30-year-old deputy Saturday was “pure evil.”

Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin was in Dallas Monday, where the sheriff called a news conference to show support for the family of Deputy Brandon Cunningham, who was shot to death Saturday when officers were ambushed moments after they pulled up to a home in Hiram for a domestic dispute call.

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Deputies said 42-year-old James Atkins shot Cunningham and then his wife as she tried to leave the home. Kim Vu, 52, is recovering from her injuries.

When SWAT teams stormed the house, Atkins shot and killed himself.

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On Monday, there was a growing memorial for Cunningham outside the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office. Family members held hands and prayed in front of the memorial Monday afternoon but didn’t want to speak on camera.

“So I’m asking y’all please keep them in prayer, lift them up, lift up this sheriff’s office family,” Col. Chad Hunton said. “Unfortunately, we prepare for this. But can we ever be truly prepared? No. We’re not.”

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Cunningham was the father of two young children.

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