In the summer of 1980, a tragic event unfolded in Dekalb, GA, that ended the life of a young police officer. Tommy Richard Gober, a 25-year-old male officer with the DeKalb County Police Department, was responding to a burglary in progress on Aquamist Drive on Saturday, June 28, 1980. He had been with the department for two and a half years.
While investigating the burglary, Officer Gober and his partner were met with gunfire. Gober was fatally shot, and his partner sustained serious injuries. The individual responsible for the shooting then fled the scene in Officer Gober's patrol car. The suspect was apprehended shortly after the incident.
The man who shot Officer Gober was subsequently convicted of murder. He received a sentence of life in prison for the murder charge. In addition to the life sentence, he was also sentenced to 20 years for aggravated assault on an officer and 70 years for motor vehicle theft. Officer Gober was survived by his expectant wife.
