Georgia police captain shot in head on duty makes remarkable recovery, presses on to complete degree

Capt. Brantley Worley of the McCaysville Police Department in Georgia had a near-death experience last year when he was shot in the head while on patrol. His recovery meant putting his job and schooling through Liberty University Online Programs on hold. But, determined to finish his degree, Worley only missed one eight-week term of classes for his bachelor’s in public administration, and he was back on patrol just six months later.

Last September, Worley was responding to a call of a suspicious person and activity. While confronting the perpetrator, he was shot. The bullet entered through the back of his head and exited near the bottom right side of his jaw. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he was treated for a brain bleed, a vertebrae fracture, and a broken nose. Worley said the only thing he wanted to do while being airlifted was call his wife, who he was able to speak to briefly despite his wounds. With a 6-year-old child at home, he wanted his wife to hear about the incident directly from him.

Though the brain bleed worsened at first, it eventually decreased, and doctors were able to treat him without emergency surgery. Miraculously, he was discharged two days later.

“I’m very lucky,” Worley said of the near-death incident. “I’m a strong Christian man and a Baptist preacher, and I thank God every day He let me live.”

The day he was discharged, a parade was waiting for him outside of the hospital with local agencies and community members rallying together to show their support. A local furniture outlet even donated a recliner so he could sleep upright during his recovery.

Being off the job for six months was not easy for Worley, but he said filling his time with Liberty classes helped. He initially enrolled with Liberty in 2024. He had to delay taking two courses after the shooting but re-enrolled as soon as he could in Fall 2025. He received accommodations from the Office of Disability Accommodation Support to ensure he would succeed, and his professors were flexible, allowing him extra time for assignments. Worley still experiences headaches from the incident, which act up when he spends too much time working on a computer or reading. Despite everything, he plans to graduate this fall.

“ODAS is probably the reason I’ve been able to finish this degree and not miss (additional) classes,” he said. “The professors have been great to deal with. There was one professor who I asked if she could give me a couple extra days on an assignment, and she said, ‘Don’t worry about timeline. You take as much time as you need.’ It’s been great to see the willingness of my professors to work with me and help me out.”

Worley said he chose Liberty’s online program because of its first responder and military discount, which made going to school affordable, and for the flexibility and convenience of doing school from home.

“The low credit hour price is very, very nice for me coming from public safety, so it helped out a lot,” he said, noting how he was also able to receive credit for his public safety and EMT certifications.

As a Baptist preacher, he appreciated Liberty’s integrated biblical worldview in his courses. While a traumatic incident might break some individuals, Worley said it strengthened him spiritually.

Worley returned to his job at the police department on Feb. 23. He said his department has been extremely supportive, always letting him take time off if his headaches worsen or he needs a break.

Worley was awarded the Police Purple Heart and Medal of Valor from the state of Georgia during a ceremony on Dec. 12, 2025.

Although his Purple Heart is a civilian policing honor, Worley is more proud of his wife, Jessica, who received the highly esteemed U.S. Military Purple Heart for her combat in Iraq. He added that Jessica was an instrumental part of his recovery, and her support helped get him through the difficult time.

To help other first responders, Worley is establishing the nonprofit Worley Strong Foundation, which will provide support, encouragement, and meaningful assistance to first responders and their families during times of crisis, hardship, injury, and recovery.

“Founded from (my) personal experience and a deep understanding of the sacrifices made in public service, the foundation exists to stand beside those who dedicate their lives to protecting others,” he said.

Worley said faith is one of the core values at the heart of the foundation.

“I know there is definitely a God in Heaven,” he said. “I don’t care what anyone says; you can’t show me any proof otherwise that there’s not. (God) is the only reason I’m still living here today. No one I know of gets shot in the back of the head and walks away and lives to talk about it.”

Individuals who are interested in learning more about Worley Strong Foundation can email worleystrongfoundation@gmail.com.

Liberty has a longstanding reputation of supporting first responders, active military, veterans, and their families by offering a wide variety of benefits and scholarships. The first responder discount applies to students enrolled in online associate, bachelor’s, and graduate degree programs who are currently (or within the last five years) employed, volunteering full time, or retired from the areas of law enforcement, emergency services, Civil Air Patrol (CAP) senior members, fire safety and rescue work, and TSA.