At the request of 12th Judicial District Attorney General Courtney Lynch, TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting in Grundy County on Wednesday night.
Preliminary information indicates that, at approximately 10:00 p.m., deputies from the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of the 5800 block of Colony Road in Gruetli-Laager after receiving reports of a man with a rifle pointing it at passing vehicles. When they arrived, deputies encountered a man, later identified as 64 year-old Joe Pickett, who was carrying what was later identified to be a pellet rifle. Deputies reported they gave verbal commands for Pickett to drop the rifle, but instead, Pickett pointed it at them. One deputy then fired upon Pickett, striking him. Medics transported Pickett to a nearby hospital, where he died. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.
TBI agents are working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews.
New Grundy County Sheriff Heath Gunter was out of the county when this incident occurred, undergoing training.