Tourist Shot By Atlanta Police Officer Speaks Out

ATLANTA, GA -- A North Carolina man shot by an Atlanta police officer is speaking out to give "a clear understanding" of the incident, which happened when he was driving his van occupied by his son, wife and grandchild. For more police news and updates on this and other stories in Atlanta, click here to get Patch's daily newsletter and free, real-time news alerts.

"These last 72 hours have been quite a whirlwind for us, both physically and emotionally. It is a lot to process, to deal with, and to try and understand," 46-year-old Noel Hall said in a statement, according to WXIA.

Hall was in town for a motorcross event in downtown Atlanta. The shooting happened on Northside Drive near Ivan Allen Boulevard.

Hall said that it was important for him to say something because, "We have seen some of the news articles and broadcasts containing some information from other resources, which obviously is not giving a clear understanding of our side of what happened."

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, which is looking into the case, the shooting happened Saturday when an off-duty Atlanta police officer was directing traffic about 10 p.m. when he encountered a white Ford 350 van.

The driver "disregarded the officer’s traffic directions and drove in the direction of the officer," according to the GBI. As the van sped toward him, the officer shot the driver, identified as Hall of Morganton, North Carolina.

Read more: Officer on leave after tourist shooting

Hall said that contrary to what has been released about the shooting, he did not drive toward the officer.

"We were already in the turn lane and in the process of turning when he approached us by walking in front of our van, we did not drive toward him as been stated. We came to a complete stop and at the point when we did start moving, we made a turn to the right, around and away from the officer," Hall said, WXIA reports.

Hall said the shooting, in which he had his sons, wife and grandson in the van, was "absolutely unjustified."

"We know the officer was at the intersection, the vehicle proceeded in his direction (and) for whatever reason the officer fired a shot," Atlanta Police Sgt. Warren Pickard told news reporters.

He said that it was standard for an officer to be placed on leave for a few days after a shooting. Pickard said that it is too early to determine whether any charges will be filed in the case.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is continuing its independent probe into the shooting.
"We hope that the facts reveal exactly what happened," Pickard said.

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