Peachtree city police

A police chief in suburban Atlanta has resigned before a grand jury decides whether to charge him with a misdemeanor crime for paralyzing his wife in an accidental shooting.

Peachtree City officials said William McCollom resigned from the police force effective Wednesday. McCollom said in a statement that he needs to focus on his family after the "recent tragedy."

McCollom called 911 early New Year's Day to report accidentally shooting his wife, Margaret, as the couple slept in their bed. They divorced in 1999 but later reunited.

Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard said McCollom took a loaded handgun to bed after drinking alcohol and taking sleep medication. Ballard has said a grand jury will decide whether McCollom should be charged with reckless conduct.

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