A Henry County deputy who was shot during a manhunt for a mass shooting suspect is back on light duty after almost four months. Cpl. Daniel Podsiadly, along with two other officers, was shot in separate incidents with the gunman, who was later killed in a shootout. Podsiadly spoke to 11Alive about the incident and his recovery, emphasizing the need for better worker compensation for first responders. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a charity golf tournament to raise funds for Podsiadly’s medical bills. Cody Alcorn reported
After nearly four months of recovery, Henry County deputy Cpl. Daniel Podsiadly, who was shot in the back during a manhunt for a deadly mass shooting suspect, is back on light duty. Podsiadly, along with two Clayton County Police officers, was shot in two separate shootouts with the gunman, Andre Longmore, who was later killed in a shootout with the Clayton County Police officers. All three law enforcement officers survived the ordeal. Podsiadly, who is a K-9 handler for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, recalled the weekend when the call came in about the quadruple homicide in Hampton, which prompted him to head there as part of the fugitive apprehension team. The shooting of three women and a man in the Dogwood Lakes subdivision sparked a massive manhunt in the area, with law enforcement officers from Henry County swarming the area to track down the suspect. The search continued into Sunday, when Podsiadly encountered the suspect near the Clayton County line on Mt. Zion Parkway.
Podsiadly explained that he spotted the suspect in his side mirror, as the suspect pulled up into an office complex to avoid him. Acting on his instincts, Podsiadly turned around and, along with another deputy, confronted the suspect, who they believed was hiding in a nearby wood line. As soon as Podsiadly stepped out of his patrol car, the suspect started firing at them, catching them off guard and essentially ambushing them. Bullets narrowly missed Podsiadly’s head as he desperately sought cover behind a nearby tree. However, he was struck by a bullet just above his belt and below his vest. The bullet missed his spine by a mere inch and a half, but it cracked his pelvis and fragmented, with some fragments piercing his abdomen and striking his colon twice. Podsiadly was immediately pulled to safety by the other deputy and rushed to a local hospital in a patrol car. Fearing for his life, Podsiadly made peace with the possibility that those could be his last moments.
Within minutes, Podsiadly was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. The road to recovery has been long and challenging for Podsiadly, who is acutely aware of how fortunate he is to have survived the ordeal. The experience has taught him not to take anything for granted and to appreciate everyone and everything around him. He has also found solace and strength in his faith, becoming closer to God as a result of the incident.
While Podsiadly continues to heal physically, he has faced a significant financial burden. Due to what he describes as an inadequate worker compensation plan in Georgia, he has only been receiving two-thirds of his paycheck since the incident. Initially, his wife had to take a month off work to care for him without pay. This financial strain has highlighted the need for an overhaul of Georgia’s worker compensation plan to better support first responders like Podsiadly. In the meantime, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office has stepped up to help him and his wife by organizing a charity golf tournament, with all proceeds going towards Podsiadly’s financial needs. The tournament aims not only to provide financial assistance but also to raise awareness about the challenges faced by law enforcement officers in the line of duty.
Individuals can support Podsiadly in several ways. They can participate in the charity golf tournament individually or as part of a team, become a sponsor for the event, or make a direct donation to help alleviate Podsiadly’s financial burdens. The tournament will be held at Crystal Lake Golf & Country Club in Hampton on Monday, November 13th..