Holly MatkinAtlanta, GA – DeKalb County Police Department (DCPD) Sergeant Daniel Mobley died in the line of duty on Jan. 2, when he was hit by a vehicle while assisting at the scene of another collision.
The incident occurred on the Downtown Connector near the Williams Street exit at approximately 9 a.m., after the 44-year-old sergeant exited his patrol vehicle to help another DCPD officer who had been involved in a crash, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
According to the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), a man driving a silver Ford Focus lost control of his vehicle as he was making a left-hand curve and slammed into a concrete barrier wall, WSB reported.
The Ford then crashed into Officer Mobley and his parked patrol unit.
The driver of the Ford was rushed to a local hospital with minor injuries, WSB reported.
GSP said charges are pending against him.
The officer involved in the initial collision was not injured, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Sgt. Mobley was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
He served with DCPD for 22 years.
“Today is a sad day as the DeKalb County Police Department lost one of its guardian angels,” DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos said during a press conference outside police headquarters Saturday afternoon, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We will miss him dearly and our hearts go out to his family.”
Chief Ramos said Sgt. Mobley was a highly-respected supervisor who was adored by his fellow officers.
Law enforcement officers flocked to the hospital as news of the crash spread, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“The law enforcement community as a whole is hurting,” Chief Ramos said. “When you have officers flying into the hospital — not even in uniform because it’s their day off — to show their respects, that means he earned that respect.”
Sgt. Mobley joined the DCPD in June of 1998, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in December of 2017, according to his department.
He was assigned to the North-Central Precinct at the time of his death, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The highly-decorated sergeant leaves behind his son.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called the veteran officer’s death “heartbreaking” in a tweet later that day.
“Please join our family in praying for the friends and loved ones of Sergeant Mobley,” Kemp wrote. “May the Lord be a comfort to them and his fellow officers in this difficult time.”
Heartbreaking news. Please join our family in praying for the friends and loved ones of Sergeant Mobley. May the Lord be a comfort to them and his fellow officers in this difficult time. https://t.co/OEHiNl7uXp
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) January 2, 2021
RED ALERT now with this Serious Crash involving a police officer on I-75/85/sb at Williams St. (exit 249) all lanes are closed. Avoid. Use I-285 @Atlanta_Police @ATLFireRescue #ATLtraffic pic.twitter.com/LpC1AO1c03
— AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) January 2, 2021
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of @DeKalbCountyPD Sergeant Daniel Mobley who was killed in the line of duty. May God grant him eternal peace. #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/ipWIJcdbDp
— NYPD Chaplains Unit (@NYPDchaplains) January 3, 2021
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family DeKalb County Police Department Sergeant Daniel Mobley, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
