In a tragic turn of events on a June night in 2016, William David Powell, a 63-year-old male from Stockbridge, Georgia, was fatally shot by a police officer on his own property. The incident unfolded when three Henry County police officers responded to a 911 call reporting a woman screaming for help and gunshots. However, a preliminary investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that the officers had been dispatched to the wrong address, leading them to Mr. Powell's home.
According to reports, Mr. Powell, awakened by his dogs barking, went outside with his handgun to investigate the disturbance. Accounts of what transpired next differ. The GBI stated that officers gave verbal commands for Powell to drop his weapon, and he did not comply. An attorney for the family, however, said that Powell's wife, who was nearby, never heard any such commands. She reported hearing two gunshots, after which she saw her husband fall. Terrified, she ran back inside, locked the door, and called 911 herself, only then learning that the figures outside were police officers.
The officer who fired the fatal shot was identified as Sgt. Patrick D. Snook. Following the shooting, he was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in such cases. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted a thorough investigation into the shooting and turned its findings over to the Henry County District Attorney's office. In December of that year, the case was scheduled to be presented to a grand jury for review.
William Powell was transported to Atlanta Medical Center after being shot in the neck, where he later died from his injuries. His death was confirmed by the family's attorney. Friends and family remembered him as a good man, and the community was left grappling with the unfortunate circumstances that led to his untimely death at the hands of law enforcement who were at the wrong location.
