AUGUSTA, Ga. - Richmond County's Sheriff says the investigator who shot a man to death during a robbery followed the proper procedure.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says just before 8 p.m. Monday night Joseph Gooden ran into Captain D's wearing a bandanna over his face carrying what looked to witness like a sawed off rifle or shotgun.

What Gooden didn't see was investigator Timothy Tobias hunched over tying his shoe near the entrance.

Witnesses told investigators Gooden chased an employee into the back office where he put his gun to the restaurant manager's head and took a tray of money.

The witness says Gooden was about to escape when Tobias pulled his gun on him and told him two times to drop his weapon.

They say Gooden kept advancing before Investigator Tobias shot him several times in the chest.

"Witnesses said they heard on two different occasions the investigator order him to drop his weapon,” said Richmond County Sheriff, Ronnie Strength. “Did the officer have to do that? Absolutely not because the suspect had put the officer's life and other folk's lives in danger," Strength said.

GBI says the gun Gooden used was a "BB" gun. Sheriff Strength says his deputy followed proper procedures.

"It doesn't matter if it's a BB gun,” said Sheriff Strength. You've seen these BB guns and BB pistols that look identical to real weapons. Every employee and customer in the restaurant also thought it was a rifle or shotgun."

Tuesday, the restaurant was back open and running like normal.

The incident is unfortunate, but we can just be glad no employees or customers were hurt,” said the Wrightsboro Captain D’s branch manager, Rick Sweitzer.

Investigator Tobias is now working administrative duties until the Georgia Bureau of Investigation finishes its probe into what happened.

Captain D's has had officers to guard its restaurant for the past eight years because of security problems.