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Deputy airlifted to hospital after attack by suicidal woman, sheriff says

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — A deputy suffered serious injuries when she was attacked while responding to a suicidal woman, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities told Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes that the deputy went to a home on Saturday after someone called 911 to report that their family member was attempting to commit suicide.

When the deputy arrived, officials said the woman attacked the deputy, by hitting her with a bottle. The deputy was injured and had to be airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center.

George Waldrop told Fernandes he never sees any law enforcement officers in his neighborhood,so he was surprised to see six patrol cars on the street Saturday night.

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"A couple ambulances, a couple firetrucks and it was kind of scary," he said, describing the scene.

Other neighbors couldn't believe what happened.

"I think it's absolutely crazy because we don’t have issues like that around here, like I live in a very quiet neighborhood. I was very shocked to hear that anything had happened," an anonymous neighbor said.

The deputy was released from the hospital and is now recovering at home.

Deputies told Channel 2 Action News they knew the suspect had mental health issues, so they did everything they could to diffuse the situation without using deadly force.

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