In the late hours of a Tuesday in Tucker, Georgia, the life of 32-year-old Kenneth Lee Wimberly Sr., a male Gwinnett County Deputy Sheriff, was tragically cut short on September 22, 1998. That day, which had begun with the promise of a new beginning as he moved into the Hunter's Pointe Apartments on Jimmy Carter Boulevard, ended in a violent confrontation that left a family and a community in mourning.
Wimberly, who was off-duty at the time, was approached by fellow residents concerned about a man who was also a resident of the complex. The man was reportedly preaching loudly in an open field, proclaiming to be a deity.
With a sense of duty that extended beyond his official hours, Deputy Wimberly intervened, managing to de-escalate the situation and persuade the man to return to his apartment. However, the calm was short-lived. The man re-emerged from his apartment, and a physical struggle ensued between him and Wimberly. In the ensuing chaos, the man managed to gain control of Wimberly's service weapon. He then fired the gun, fatally wounding the deputy sheriff who had dedicated four years of his life to law enforcement.
Responding units arrived at the scene to a grim reality. The suspect was promptly arrested. The man responsible for the death of Deputy Wimberly was subsequently convicted of his murder. A court sentenced him to life in prison for the murder, with an additional 20 years for aggravated assault and five years for the possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, ensuring that the man who took a dedicated officer's life would be held accountable for his actions. The tragic event left behind a grieving wife and three children, a testament to the profound loss felt by those who knew and loved him.
