As the GBI arrests a trooper, another state agency says he is no longer employed.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested former Trooper Jacob Gordon Thompson one week after it began an investigation into an officer-involved shooting in Screven County.
The GBI said Friday that in coordination with the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit, warrants were sought for 27-year-old Thompson on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault. He will be booked into the Screven County Jail. Â “The investigation supports the charges and is active and ongoing,” the agency said in a news release.Â
The arrest before the conclusion of an investigation is a stark contrast from the GBI’s previous statement that it would conduct an independent investigation and turn over finding to the district attorney’s office once complete. An arrest prior to conclusive findings is also outside the standard in these types of investigations as the GBI is merely the investigating entity.
Last week, the GBI released preliminary information on the officer-involved shooting:
Preliminary information shows that a trooper attempted to stop a Nissan Sentra for a traffic related offense on Stoney Pond Road in Screven County. The car refused to stop and led the trooper on a brief chase down several county roads. The trooper initiated a Precision Intervention Technique (PIT) and the car came to a stop in the ditch. The trooper fired one round, striking Julian Edward Roosevelt Lewis, age 60. Lewis was pronounced deceased on scene. An autopsy will be conducted at the GBI Crime Lab.
In conjunction with the felony arrest, Thompson has been terminated from the Department of Public Safety/Georgia State Patrol.Â
No additional details are available at this time.
Other articles on August 7, 2020 Officer-Involved Shooting
- Fmr. Trooper Appears in Court for Bond Hearing on Felony Murder, Agg Assault Charges
- Fmr. Trooper Appears in Court for Preliminary Hearing, Bond Reconsideration
- Judge Orders Bond in Thompson Case
- Prosecutors Still Not Ready to Present Trooper Case to Grand Jury
- 911 Records Show Trooper’s Vehicle Equipment Wasn’t Working Properly During Pursuit Through Rural Screven County
- Screven Co. Grand Jury Returns ‘No Bill of Indictment’ In Trooper OIS Case
[…] — GBI Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting In Screven County8/14/20 — GBI Arrests Trooper Following Shooting In Screven County8/24/20 — Fmr. Trooper Appears In Court For Bond Hearing On Felony Murder, Agg Assault […]