GBI investigating deputy shooting of Thomasville resident

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is reviewing a deputy's fatal shooting of a 37-year-old black man Tuesday in Thomasville, Georgia, about 30 miles from Tallahassee.

A GBI press release says agents from the Thomas County Sheriff's Office Narcotics and Vice Division were executing a search warrant in the Magnolia and Fern Street area around 4:20 p.m. when Herbert "Pop" Gilbert was shot.

The incident involved police vehicles and Gilbert's vehicle prior to the shooting.

The deputy involved has been identified as agent Josh Smith, who is white. He started at TCSO in June 2012. Sheriff Carlton Powell said the officer is on temporary administrative leave, the Thomasville Times-Enterprise reported. In a separate 2015 incident, Smith was suspended for not adhering to proper arrest procedures, the paper reported.

TCSO said it could not comment on the situation as long as it's under active investigation.

Thomasville Mayor Greg Hobbs said the incident was "a tragic event for our community."

Hobbs' office and the Chief of Police issued a joint statement Wednesday.

“On behalf of the Thomasville City Council and the entire City family, we want to begin by expressing our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased,” said Mayor Hobbs. “This was a tragic event for our community.”

The latest deadly shooting of a black man by law enforcement triggered demonstrations. Holding signs that read "Justice for Herbert" and "We are Pop," dozens of protesters marched through downtown Thomasville Wednesday and Thursday morning. A community vigil was also held on Magnolia Street.

During Wednesday's protest, a driver reportedly rode a golf cart into the crowd, said protester and relative of Gilbert, Desma Brown. The driver has been charged with reckless conduct, TCSO announced on Facebook.

Brown says Gilbert was her cousin's father.

She was one of dozens of marchers chanting, "All lives matter — united, we stand; divided, we fall."

She said the group of mostly black protesters chose to chant "all lives matter" rather than "black lives matter," to commemorate the lives of other minority races.

Brown first heard about the shooting during her 6 p.m. lunch break. Gilbert lived on Magnolia Street, as did many of Brown's family and friends.

"I'm just so shocked, ma'am," said Brown, 28, in a telephone interview with the Tallahassee Democrat. "In my point of view, his good outweighed his bad."

Witnesses told Brown Gilbert was shot multiple times, however, TCSO said it could not comment with information as the shooting is still under active investigation.

"He was a great father," Brown recalled.

Brown's friend Laquitta Williams, 31, lived in Thomasville for 25 years before moving to Tallahassee recently. She said Gilbert was her friend and would "give you the shirt off his back."

"Everyone has a past," Williams said about him.

Jail records show Gilbert was charged with several offenses since 2005, including cocaine possession, cocaine possession with intent to distribute and cruelty toward child (family offense), the Times-Enterprise reported.

Reach Nada Hassanein at nhassanein@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @nhassanein_.