HENRY COUNTY, GA – The man mistakenly shot by Henry County police has died, a lawyer for the family tells CBS46 News.
Attorney Keith Martin said William “David” Powell died Thursday.
Powell was shot by officers who thought they were responding to a home where shots had been fired. The incident happened around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.
After the shooting, agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation launched a investigation into the case.
A spokesman for the GBI said officers reportedly identified themselves and stayed in the driveway. Officers reported that Powell came out of his garage with a gun and refused to drop his weapon.
At least one officer fired shots. A bullet hit Powell in the neck.
Neighbors told CBS46 a different story, saying they saw police shine a flashlight into Powell’s house.
“If you’re a cop, you don’t go up to someone’s house and start shining your light in their window,” said Powell’s next door neighbor.
GBI spokesman Scott Dunton would not confirm whether officers used a flashlight to peer into the home or whether officers knocked on the door. Officers likely were on heightened alert. The shooting was the second officer-involved shooting that week.
CBS46 spoke with former police officer Victor Hill about the incident. He thinks the officers were simply following training methods.
“I believe they were flashing their flash lights in the house, looking for anything that may look like a shooting scene,” said Hill. “So, they did exactly what they were supposed to do. They responded to the house (address) given and reacted the way they were supposed to react when met with deadly force.”
GBI investigators are hoping to speak with Powell’s wife about the incident, according to the family’s lawyer.
CBS46 News spoke with former Fulton County prosecutor Ash Joshi about the case. He says there’s a good reason the family now has a lawyer.
“I am confident there will be a civil lawsuit brought against the police department and against Henry County,” said Joshi.
It is unclear if the family of Powell wishes to file a lawsuit. The officer who shot Powell is on administrative leave.
