Colleagues pulling for injured deputy, who’s always loved the job

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Richmond County Deputy Kenneth Mercer is still fighting for his life after a shooting in downtown Augusta in the middle of a busy day.

And he has plenty of support, from colleagues past and present, state leaders and city leaders.

What comes to mind most about him is his dedication to the job.

“He was just thorough at what he did,” said Victor Cuyler, a former co-worker who’s now chief of police in Sandersville. “He was just thorough at what he did.”

Mercer was injured after deputies first responded to Ellis Street just after 11:30 a.m. Saturday. They were called about a suspect with a gun, later identified as 36-year-old Duterval Sejor.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says deputies found him in an enclosed area of a business.

The GBI says Sejor exchanged gunfire with deputies while they were trying to get him to surrender.

Sejor was fatally shot in the encounter.

Mercer was still in the hospital Monday with unknown injuries.

Mercer’s family says this is a very trying time for them, and right now they are not ready to speak about it.

But lots of people who know Mercer have posted on social media to show their, love and support for him.

William Linton says he’s been a friend of Mercer for 20 years.

Linton describes Mercer as a family man, a friend to anyone who knew him.

That’s a phrase that continues to echo.

OTHER REACTION:

• Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson asked members of the public to “please keep Deputy Kenneth Mercer and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in your thoughts and prayers.”
• City of Augusta spokeswoman Danielle Harris said: “The officer and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office are in our thoughts and prayers.”
• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted: “We join his loved ones and the entire law enforcement community in asking God to keep him stable and on the road to recovery.”

From his kind heart to infectious smile, he always makes everyone feel at ease.

Other online posts describe him as a great deputy, saying he’s a man who loves his job protecting the CSRA.

Before joining the Richmond County Sheriffs Office, Mercer worked about an hour away at the Sandersville Police Department.

At the time, he worked alongside Cuyler.

Cuyler says when you become a police officer, you’re taught early on that the standard work environment is always unpredictable.

He says some will follow the law and others won’t.

He says no matter the situation, during the three years they worked together, Mercer always had a smile on his face, and it’s one of the most important characteristics.

“The most important thing, one of the key things, is the fact that he loved what he did. So whenever you find a police officer who just just loved being a police is always a good thing, because, you know, you people need to be in career feels that they really want to do, and Ken Mercer was the one,” Cuyler said.

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