ATLANTA – A Fulton County grand jury indicted a former Atlanta Police sergeant accused of shooting a father at a motocross event at the Georgia Dome in 2017.
The jury formally charged Mathieu Cadeau, 52, with aggravated assault after firing a single shot from close range at Noel Hall in his van. Hall’s family, including his wife, two sons, grandson and another passenger were in the van at the time.
Prosecutors said Cadeau was working off-duty directing traffic for a motocross event at Georgia Dome. Hall and his family were visiting from North Carolina to watch his son participate in the event. At around 10:30 p.m., when the event ended, Hall needed to get his son’s motorbike. He tried to turn onto Ivan Allen Boulevard from Northside Drive when he was stopped by Cadeau, who refused to let him make the turn.
Hall got frustrated with Cadeau and decided to take the turn anyway. Prosecutors said Cadeau pulled out his service weapon and fired a single shot into the van at close range.
Photos | Cop shoots man driving in downtown Atlanta
The bullet hit Hall in the back of the arm, traveled through his bicep and into his side. The bullet exited out of his chest and traveled through the passenger side window, nearly striking Hall’s wife, according to prosecutors.
The bullet missed Hall’s heart by only two inches. Hall survived, and none of the other people in the van were hurt.
The Atlanta Police Department fired Cadeau from the department on May 18, 2017. He had been with the force since 2007, according to his personnel file. According to that file, he had been cited multiple times for "maltreatment or unnecessary force" and had previously had another "violent confrontation" with another Atlanta couple in 2013.