Cop on leave after shooting near Georgia Dome

An Atlanta police officer is on paid administrative leave while state officials investigate if he was justified in shooting a driver who disregarded his commands.

The shooting happened about 10:30 p.m. Saturday on Northside Drive as one of the final events at the Georgia Dome, the Atlanta Supercross, ended.

According to the GBI, the agency investigating the shooting, the officer was working an off-duty job directing traffic when he encountered a white Ford F350 van driven by Noel Hall, 46, of North Carolina.

The officer was in uniform, which is standard procedure when directing traffic, Atlanta police officials said. He was wearing a traffic vest, too. Hall disregarded the officer’s commands and drove in his direction, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said. That is when the officer fired his service weapon and hit Hall, she said. Other people were inside the van but were not injured.

The van continued left onto Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard from Northside Drive for several blocks before one of the passengers called 911, Miles said. Hall was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released. Hall was in town for the Atlanta Supercross, Atlanta police said. Evidence from the scene indicates he was not armed, Miles said. The officer is a supervisor in the field operations division who has been with the Atlanta Police Department since July 2007. His name will be released today, Miles said.