Statesboro Advanced Police Officer Joey Deloach is continuing to recover after being shot last week while attempting to question a suspect for illegally entering vehicles at a local apartment complex.
During the incident, Deloach suffered a life-threatening wound to his left leg that struck the femoral artery. A fellow officer who was part of the call to the complex rendered aid to Deloach immediately, applying a tourniquet to stem the bleeding. He was rushed to East Georgia Regional Medical Center and then flown to Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah.
"The surgeon told us that without that tourniquet, he'd have never met Joey," Police Chief Mike Broadhead said last week. "So, legit saved his life."
The severity of the injury has already required one surgery, and another was scheduled for Monday. Broadhead said if the procedure goes well, Deloach will be able to be moved out of ICU and into a patient room at Memorial in Savannah.
Deloach was one of several SPD officers sent to Copper Beech Townhomes on Statesboro Place Circle on April 16 for a report of a man unlawfully entering vehicles in the parking lot.
Deloach saw a man matching the description given inside of a parked vehicle. He ordered him out of the vehicle and, immediately after exiting, the suspect fired at Deloach, who fired back.
The suspect fled into a wooded area before emerging near Brampton Avenue, where he was taken into custody by SPD officers and Bulloch County Sheriff's deputies.
The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Anthony Kent, originally from Vidalia. After being treated and released from EGRMC, Kent was transported to the Bulloch County Jail and charged with aggravated assault upon a public safety officer.
Helping the family
A seven-year veteran of the Statesboro Police Department, Deloach and his wife have two young daughters.
Speaking to a reporter with WJCL-TV in Savannah last week, Deloach's wife Brittany said: "I'm hopeful that we'll be home in the next couple of weeks and then start the long process of recovery and rehabilitation."
She said she is thankful for her faith and friends who have shown the family love.
Several local fundraising efforts have sprung up to help the family as they navigate APO Deloach's recovery. In fact, a GoFundMe page has already raised $8,520 and received 128 donations as of Monday afternoon. Anyone wishing to donate can go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-officer-deloachs-road-to-recovery
Also, the Statesboro Police Officers Foundation is helping ensure the Deloach family receives all the funds raised and is helping in any way possible.
Former Statesboro Chief of Police Stan York is the current president of the Foundation. He said the Foundation was able to deliver some emergency cash to Brittany Deloach in Savannah the morning after the shooting "just is case she needed something."
"We left contact information in case there is anything whatsoever we can do to help her family, whether it's asking 'Do you need groceries? Are your kids OK? Do you need your lawn mowed?' Whatever we can do to support. That's our role.
"Second, when we found out there were some caring folks out there starting a GoFundMe effort, we wanted to make sure those funds would go to a place that is reputable and reliable and we would make sure those funds got exactly where they should go to help the family."
York said the Foundation also would accept donations earmarked for APO Deloach on its web page at https://www.statesboropolice.org/
"Joey is a tough young man and he's got the support of a loving family," York said. "But he has a long road in front of him, and I hope the community keeps him in the forefront of their prayers and their thoughts."
Broadhead said Deloach will receive his full pay while he recovers through a combination of worker's compensation insurance and SPD benefits.
Broadhead also offered praise to the members of the Statesboro Police Department for their collective reaction in the aftermath of the shooting of a colleague.
"These officers and staff have shown incredible maturity and resilience around this shooting," he said. "Generally, our officers and dispatchers are pretty young and relatively inexperienced, and the amount of professionalism they have shown throughout this entire incident – from the response to the arrest to the aftermath – has left me humbled."
On the night of the shooting, the SPD requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation look into the incident. A statement from the GBI read: "The GBI will conduct an independent investigation. Once complete, the case file will be given to the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review."
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Region 5 Investigative Office at (912) 871-1121. Also, information may be provided to Senior Detective Ben Purvis at (912) 764-9911 or by submitting an anonymous tip to www.tipsoft.com.