GBI Arrests Trooper Following Shooting in Screven County

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.  “The investigation supports the charges and is active and ongoing,” the agency said in a news release. 

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. 

No additional details are available at this time.

Other articles on August 7, 2020 Officer-Involved Shooting

Jessica Szilagyi

Jessica Szilagyi is Publisher of TGV News. She focuses primarily on state and local politics as well as issues in law enforcement and corrections. She has a background in Political Science with a focus in local government and has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia.

Jessica is a "Like It Or Not" contributor for Fox5 in Atlanta and co-creator of the Peabody Award-nominated podcast 'Prison Town.'

Sign up for her weekly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gzYAZT

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