Slain man, officer identified in Wednesday shooting in Thomas County

THOMASVILLE — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has identified the man who was killed in an officer-involved shooting in Thomas County on Wednesday, as well as the officer who shot him.

GBI officials said Jomekia Minter, 37, was the man who was fatally shot after law enforcement officers were sent to County Line Road in Thomas County on Wednesday evening to investigate a report of an armed man walking down the road. An autopsy of Minter’s body was completed this morning, GBI officials said.

The officer involved in the shooting was identified as Tyler Lamon, a Thomas County sheriff’s deputy and a member of the Thomasville-Thomas County SWAT Team

GBI officials in a new release Thursday said the agency was called in to investigate the case by the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office. According to preliminary information, the county’s 911 center received a call at 7:11 p.m. Wednesday about a man walking along County Line Road carrying a gun.

Thomas County sheriff’s deputies responded and found a man carrying a pistol. The report said the man was talking irrationally, and that he kept his weapon and was non-responsive to de-escalation attempts offering him assistance.

“Witnesses interviewed thus far state that repeated attempts were made to de-escalate the situation by speaking to the man and trying to offer him help and get him to drop the gun,” GBI officials said.

The Thomasville/Thomas County SWAT Team was called and also attempted to communicate with the man, the GBI said.

“SWAT team officers eventually approached the individual as he continued to walk along the road,” the GBI release said. “Officers deployed a non-lethal flexible baton (bean bag) round, but it was unsuccessful. The man then pointed his pistol toward the SWAT officers. An officer providing cover during the incident fatally shot the subject.”

When the investigation is completed, the agency said, the results will be given to the Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review. Anyone with information is asked to call the GBI office in Thomasville at (229) 225-4090.