The GBI is investigating the officer involved shooting death of a man in Commerce.
Authorities say 25-year old Joseph Noel died after he was shot in the leg by one of three Commerce Police Officers who were responding to a domestic disturbance call.
It happened shortly after midnight Thursday at a house located at 125 Ashford Lane. A press release issued by the GBI says Officers David Jackels, Kimberly McCulloch-Grant and Sergeant Kay Denton were responding to a call indicating a man was beating his wife. When they arrived they were met by the suspect’s father, Brian Noel. The father “instructed the officers to enter the property and detain Joseph Noel.” He was found hiding in the attic.
The release states, “Once Noel was located officers began to issue verbal commands at which time Noel held up an object that officers believed to be a firearm and refused to comply with the officers’ instructions. During the verbal exchange, Noel charged the officers and the officers deployed a taser and fired shots, striking him.” Joseph Noel was shot in the leg. He was transported to Athens Regional Medical Center where he later died.
Commerce Police asked the GBI to investigate. An autopsy will be performed.
Commerce Police Chief Brandon Sellers says all three officers were placed on administrative leave. “We’ll take another look at their status come Monday.” He says the officer who fired the shots – whose name has not been publicly released – “will probably remain on administrative leave until we get a preliminary report from the GBI.” The two other officers could be returned to duty early next week.
Sellers says Joseph Noel was visiting from out of state at the time he was killed. “I don’t want to speak to his criminal history,” Sellers says, adding, “He was not someone that we as the Commerce Police Department had regular contact with.”
Chief Sellers says his department will release more information once the GBI releases its preliminary report. Those findings will then be turned over to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
