WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Now that the funeral is over and Macon-Bibb County Deputy Christopher Knight has been laid to rest, what happens now?
Warner Robins Police Chief John Wagner, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, and Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese all say there is a time for grieving when an officer dies in the line of duty, but it also forces them to take a hard look at training, safety, and officers' mental health.
Knight's death feels all too familiar to Sills and Deese. Both men have lost deputies in their agencies.
"The first thought, and I actually get emotional, it's a deep pain," says Sills.
Deese says just as you start to heal, something like this happens again.
"It brings back old memories, old wounds."
Wagner says although his department hasn't lost an officer while he has been in charge, it forces an agency to take a look in the mirror.
"You take them as learning events. You take it that much more serious. You try to learn from these things," he says "We can't let these deaths become, you know, in vain. That you're able to take something away from it."
Deese agrees, but says some situations you just can't train for.
"We look at our training, you look at everything you can possibly look at," he says. "You really look in the mirror and start looking to see, 'Is there something we as an agency can do to see that that doesn't happen again?' and the sad part is, sometimes, there is nothing we can do."
All three men say people considering a career in law enforcement may see situations like this and change their mind.
"People just don't want to get into law enforcement. It's getting more and more dangerous."
Sills says that's not what you want when you're already in a hiring crisis.
"Listen, we can't hire anybody now. We're the 47th lowest paid state in the nation when it comes to the compensation of law enforcement officers," he says. "Then, every time you have one of these, you're usually going to have somebody decide 'I'm getting out.'"
He says some people just don't think the emotional toll, the physical toll or the risks are worth it.
"We see so much trauma, we see so much evil, we see so much filth every day," says Sills. "It's impossible now and then every time something like this happens or a serious assault happens, you begin to lose more people."
Wagner says the Warner Robins Police Department has a peer counseling team to talk about these situations and the survivors guilt that can come with it.
"I'm sure those deputies that worked with Deputy Knight, I'm sure they feel some guilt on this, so we need to do a better job in law enforcement to make sure we're taking care of each other."
All three men say even though Christopher Knight did not serve in their department, his death still hurts.
"We know what Bibb is going through. Sadly, they've been through it too many times, so like I say, it's family," says Deese.