Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, you are not alone — and help is always available. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a trained counselor, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, please know that it’s never too late to reach out. You deserve help. You deserve hope. Someone is ready to listen.
HANCOCK COUNTY, Ga. — A 33-year-old Hancock County Emergency Medical Services paramedic died by suicide on the front steps of St. Luke Baptist Church in Hancock County on Oct. 19, local authorities told the Union Recorder.
The Hancock County coroner identified the paramedic as Deshawn ‘Shawn’ Frier, who lived in the Beulah Community of Sparta.
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“Shawn was so much more than an outstanding paramedic. He was a loving husband, a great man, a friend to so many, and a brother to the EMS family,” the department posted on Facebook. “He dedicated himself to serving others, often meeting people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. That was who Shawn was: someone who cared, someone who showed up, and someone who made a difference. The lives he touched and the hearts he changed will forever be a part of his legacy.”
Frier worked with several emergency medical agencies, including Atrium Health Navicent Emergency Medical Services, Hancock County EMS, Washington County EMS, Jones County Fire Rescue and Monroe County Fire Department. He was also a certified paramedic with the Georgia Department of Human Resources.
