WXIA

Whether it was in uniform or on the beach, 25-year-old Nick Smarr and 26-year-old Jody Smith were best friends.

Childhood buddies, Smarr, 25, and Smith, 26, graduated from Americus-Sumter High School in 2009 and went on to the police academy together.

Smith came from a long line of law enforcement. His father was sheriff in Telfair County and his mother works in the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

Police: Suspect in Ga. cop-killing took his own life; 2nd officer dies

Smith was recently sworn in as an officer with the Georgia Southwestern State University Police Department. Smarr became an Americus Police officer in 2015.

They were on duty in those jobs Wednesday morning when they heard the domestic call come over their radios.

According to Americus Police Chief Mark Scott, Smarr responded to the call, which came from an apartment complex adjacent to the Griffin Bell Golf Course, located just south of the GSSU main campus.

Police said 32-year-old Minquell Kennedy Lembrick shot and killed Smarr — and critically wounded Smith, who died Thursday at Medical Center Navicent Health in Macon.

"Both officers were hit. The Americus officer is deceased. The Georgia Southwestern officer has been LifeFlighted to Macon. He's in critical condition at this time," Scott said.

Both officers were engaged to be married in 2017.

"Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the families. This is a devastating loss to our family here in Americus. It's just unbelievable. It's a tragedy beyond words," Scott said. "One of our family members has been taken from us."

"Our hearts and prayers go out to Officer Smith and Officer Smarr and their families," said Mike Tracy, Georgia Southwestern State police chief.

Condolences for both officers and their families began pouring in, including on social media. The #PrayForAmericus hashtag was used by those sharing their thoughts.

And as kind words flooded in, so did memories of both men.

Olivia Pope Castillo described Smarr as a dedicated young man willing to go the extra mile to help her and her husband find his stolen truck.

"He showed us that he cared about us and he cared about the situation," she said. "And, you know, I couldn't forget him or his face or, you know, just his friendliness."

Lembrick eluded an extensive manhunt Wednesday and was found dead in a home in Americus Thursday. Police said Lembrick killed himself as they closed in on a house where a tipster said the suspect was holed up.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation had stepped up the pressure to find Lembrick by offering an original $20,000 reward for his arrest.

An additional reward of $10,000 was offered by the Peach County Sheriff's Office, Byron Police Department and Fort Valley Police Department bringing the reward up to $30,000.

Thursday morning, more departments and agencies upped the ante, raising the reward by $50,000 more to $70,000. There was no word from police whether the tipster who led them to Lembrick would receive the reward.

Follow Christopher Hopper on Twitter: @Chris11Alive