On Friday, December 2, 2022, Governor Brian Kemp recognized 15 individuals at the Governor’s Public Safety Awards Ceremony held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia. Sheriff Stacy Williams was one of the honorees recognized for Acts of Heroism.

The award comes from a highly publicized incident last November where the Sheriff was able to talk a suicidal male into putting down his weapon and getting help.

On November 10, 2021, deputies were dispatched to assist the Buchanan Police Department with a domestic call. Deputies arrived on scene and observed a white male carrying a weapon and asked for backup. The deputies attempted to get the male to drop the weapon, but he refused stating that he wanted to die.

Sheriff Stacy Williams heard the call while at the Haralson County Courthouse and responded. Sheriff Williams began trying to speak to the male, the male was not cooperative and stated that he wanted them to kill him.

Sheriff Williams used his Crisis Intervention Training and was able to get the man to drop the weapon. Sheriff Williams’ quick thinking and compassionate approach was able to make the outcome of that incident a good one, the male was disarmed and was able to receive desperately needed mental health help.

“Our job is to serve and protect,” states Sheriff Stacy Williams. “Something that I have pushed since the day I took office is that we are here to help people. When someone is in a mental health crisis, our job is to try and get them help. I am very glad that in this situation, I was able to get this young man to drop the weapon and we could get him the help he needed.”