Lavonia Gathers For Prayer Vigil

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

A community touched by events last week comes together in prayer.

Hundreds gathered at Lavonia Elementary School Sunday evening to pray for local law enforcement and protection, joining city and county law enforcement officers from across Northeast Georgia for a prayer vigil in the wake of the shootings of two Lavonia Police officers last week.

Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle thanked the crowd for their concern, but also for the support of area law enforcement who came to the aid of Lavonia Police last Monday night.

“This is a true calling. It’s amazing the response we had Monday night from area law enforcement,” Carlisle said. “I’m sure there were probably over 100 law enforcement officers here in this little town. There were five elected sheriffs here. The GBI was here. The FBI was here. That is absolutely amazing. And I think that goes to the relationships we’ve built up and maintained over the years. We try to do a professional job here. That’s what here for – to provide professional law enforcement.”

The service was hosted by Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.

Pastor Joshua Harvill says while the incidents of officer involved shootings are on the increase nationwide, having it happen in the local community brought the reality of violence home.

However, Harvill exhorted those attending Sunday night’s vigil to continue to have hope.

“It didn’t happen out there, it happened in our lives, in our community,” Harvill said. “We’ve all been to that Zaxby’s a thousand times. It happened in a place where we’re all very familiar. But I want you to know there’s hope. There’s hope that whatever may befall us in this life, there’s a life to come where because of what Jesus has done we can have eternal life through Him.”

In the meantime, Lavonia Police Captain Michael Schulman continues to improve at Greenville Memorial Hospital.

Schulman suffered a gunshot wound under his left arm, which injured several ribs, according to Chief Carlisle.

Carlisle says that over the weekend Schulman was taken off a ventilator and was moved out of ICU.

On his Facebook page Sunday, a smiling Schulman was photographed with his partner officer Jeffrey Martin, who lives in Toccoa, and thanked everyone for their continued prayers and support.

Officer Martin suffered a gunshot wound to his right hand and had surgery last week to remove the bullet. He is undergoing physical therapy.

Carlisle says officers in his department will have counseling made available to them beginning today should they need it.