Motorcade with fallen officer coming to Macon

An Eastman police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty Saturday night.

Tim Smith, 30, was shot after answering a call at about 9:30 p.m., according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation release.

Smith was answering a call about a suspicious person at the intersection of Smith and Main streets. He encountered the individual, the release stated, and was shot by that person. Smith returned fire and the shooter fled the scene.

He was taken to Dodge County Hospital, where he died.

A small motorcade carrying Smith’s body came through Macon on Interstate 16 and Interstate 75 at about noon Sunday. Smith’s body was being taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.

The shooting happened on the east side of the rail line that runs through the middle of town, not far from the Chic-King restaurant.

Smith worked briefly as a part-time officer in Jacksonville, a small town in southern Telfair County.

“He was an exemplary officer,” said Jacksonville Mayor

Smith’s Facebook page indicates he was married and had children.

Eastman, the county seat of Dodge County, is home to about 5,500 residents. It lies about 55 miles southeast of Macon.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported Officer Tim Smith's age.

This story was originally published August 14, 2016 at 12:27 AM with the headline "Motorcade with fallen officer coming to Macon."