Bibb Sheriff’s deputy attends 3 fallen Dallas officers’ funerals

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Bibb County Sheriff’s deputy is back in Macon after attending three fallen Dallas Police officers’ funerals in Texas.

Deputy Doug Smith standing in front of the fallen officer memorial. Courtesy: Bibb County Sheriffs Office

Deputy Doug Smith knows a Dallas Police officer.

“He was one of the feet on the ground during the shoot out with the suspect and I made contact with him to make sure he was okay and I felt that I absolutely had to be there,” explained Smith.

13 hours in a car gave Smith time to think.

“It was very somber,” recalled Smith.

He noticed something different about other law enforcement officers on traffic stops along the highway.

“I didn’t see anybody working by themselves. If there was one trooper or one officer, there was two. Everywhere I went throughout the entire time. Nobody is working by themselves anymore,” said Smith.

During his time in Dallas, he visited the memorial in front of the police department.

“The cars were basically covered in flowers and balloons. Officers from other agencies were leaving their patches on the cars. There were five thin blue line flags flying,” recalled Smith.

Memorial for fallen officers in front of the Dallas Police Department. Courtesy: Bibb County Sheriffs Office

He went to three of the fallen officers’ funerals.

He drove a Bibb County Sheriff’s cruiser in two of them.

“The turnout was unlike anything that I have ever seen for an officer’s funeral and I’ve been to quiet a few, unfortunately, but nothing to this scale. Nothing to this magnitude,” explained Smith.

Smith said the trip taught him most of the community does stand behind law enforcement.

“There’s a small percent of the population that’s protesting law enforcement and of that small percentage there’s an even smaller percentage that is acting violently toward us. The vast majority is a silent majority and the silent majority are the ones that came out to support us,” said Smith.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office has been flying the flag outside of its building at half staff.

The department posted on Facebook that it will continue to fly it at half staff after Sunday’s shooting in Baton Rouge that killed three officers.