GBI identifies man shot by Task Force agent during search on Oates Avenue

A man who was shot Wednesday morning after Metro Narcotics Task Force agents executed a search warrant on Oates Avenue has been identified, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Brian Napier, 36, was shot in the left arm as he charged toward a Task Force agent from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. He was still being treated for his injuries late Wednesday at an unidentified hospital, the GBI said in a news release.

The suspect sustained non-life-threatening injuries, said Assistant Police Chief Lem Miller of the Columbus Police Department. Police were seen walking a handcuffed man away from the scene.

Several people were in the house at the time, the assistant chief said.

The 6:30 a.m. shooting at 4218 Oates Ave. is under investigation by the GBI while a separate internal investigation is underway by the Columbus Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards.

The agent involved in the shooting was not injured during the incident and wasn’t identified at this time by the GBI.

Authorities said at least nine people were inside the home when the Task Force executed a knock and announce search warrant. Russell Napier, a suspect wanted for the sale of methamphetamine, was one of three who fled out the back door. He is still being sought by authorities.

Agents found a locked bedroom door as they were moving through the house and identifying themselves as police officers. After forcing open the door, an agent encountered Brian Napier, who charged the agent. The agent fired his weapon, striking the man with a grazing wound to his left arm.

Five more people were found inside the house and authorities arrested three on unrelated charges.

After the shooting, the search was halted and the GBI responded to the scene around 8 a.m. to investigate an officer-involved shooting.

Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren, who was on the scene around 8:45 a.m., said agents encountered resistance at a bedroom.

“Upon their entry into the residence with the search warrant, they (were) met with resistance at one of the bedroom doors,” Boren said. “There was a single gunshot by an agent (who) struck one of the suspects in the left arm.”

The Task Force consists of different agencies across the Chattahoochee Valley, including the Columbus Police Department, Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia along the Russell County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama.

The GBI was called in to handle the shooting, as is normal protocol in officer-involved shootings. At the end of the investigation, the GBI report will be turned over to the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 8:14 AM with the headline "GBI identifies man shot by Task Force agent during search on Oates Avenue."