APD officer fired for excessive force after shooting man in van

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has confirmed the Atlanta police officer who opened fire on a man driving a van behind the Georgia Dome has been fired for using excessive force.

Channel 2's Nefertiti Jaquez has obtained documents that show Sgt. Mathieu Cadeau's has been terminated from the department.

"The reality is, the physical evidence doesn't lie," attorney Shean Williams told Jaquez after reviewing the documents confirming Cadeau’s termination.

Williams represents Noel Hall, of North Carolina, who was shot by Cadeau while driving his van out of a motocross event at the Georgia Dome in February.

"The law is clear. You cannot fire. You cannot fire a deadly weapon without your life or someone's life being in danger," Williams said.

Jaquez spoke on the phone Thursday night  to Hall, who said he was pleased to hear Cadeau had been removed from the force.

"Extremely happy, I think it's the first step in justice," Hall said. "What would make him think I was trying to accelerate at him with kids and grandkids in the car?"

According to the documents, Cadeau was working an off-duty job directing traffic along Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard that night.

He told investigators he shot at Hall's van because, "I was in fear of my safety, the safety of other traffic personnel and the pedestrians."

"The driver looked away and then made a hard left turn with high acceleration," Cadeau said in his report.

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"If his life was in danger he would have emptied a clip in me, he wouldn't have just shot one time," Hall told Jaquez.

Investigators didn't think Cadeau's story added up.

They said he was standing near the driver's side window when he fired at the van so he was never in danger of being hit by Hall.

They also interviewed a witness who said, "As the driver drove around the two officers, one officer ran alongside the van and 'popped a shot off.'"

"There is no reasonable excuse for what happened," Williams said.

Jaquez went to Cadeau's home for comment, but no one was there.

Documents indicate that Cadeau was notified of the firing May 8, which will become effective on Friday.

Sources close to this case told Jaquez that the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office is now investigating whether criminal charges should be brought against Cadeau.

Cox Media Group