CHARLOTTE, NC — The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is deploying to Marion, Virginia, after two deputies with the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office were shot following a traffic stop on Friday, Aug. 9. One officer was killed in the line of duty and the other was transported and released from the hospital.

“When one officer is lost, the entire law enforcement community grieves and we grieve alongside them. So today, we are heartbroken to hear of the loss of 27-year-old Deputy Hunter Ready,” said Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT. “Our first responders work thankless jobs as they go out each day to protect and serve their neighbors. The National Law Enforcement Ministry of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has been asked to come serve these servants in their time of need. Law enforcement chaplains will come alongside the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office to provide emotional and spiritual support to their officers as they mourn their fallen brother.”

BG-RRT law enforcement chaplains will arrive in Marion on Sunday, Aug. 11, to minister to the families of the officers, local law enforcement, and the community.

BG-RRT chaplains are now providing emotional and spiritual support in four locations. Along with Marion, chaplains are also in Bentonville, Arkansas, and Brazoria County, Texas, after storms impacted those areas earlier this summer. Chaplains are also offering hope and providing emotional comfort and spiritual care to families who have been forced to flee their homes in war-torn Ukraine.

For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit the BG-RRT press kit or BillyGraham.org/RRT. Updates can also be found at Facebook.com/RRTChaplains.

About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team

The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 800 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.

Media Opportunities

• Interviews with:
  • Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT
  • Chaplain coordinators in Marion, Virginia
• B-Roll and photos (please use with credit to Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
• Interview request form

BG-RRT Press Kit

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