The Nick Thomas Justice Coalition sent a letter to Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon Monday, asking for a meeting to discuss the group’s contention that Smyrna officer Kenneth Owens was a “rogue cop” out for “revenge” when he shot and killed the teenager, as he attempted to speed away from his workplace in a customer’s car.
The letter, signed by Ben Williams, president of the Cobb County Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, says Thomas was the “victim of the unauthorized actions of a rouge cop … who sought revenge rather than justice.” Williams’ letter asks Bacon to respond by Feb. 25.
“No matter what we do, we cannot undo the murder of Nick Thomas; however, folk of good will can come together and begin to heal the hurt caused by a rouge cop and others who were either negligent or complicit in the terrible tragedy of blue on black crime,” Williams wrote in the letter.
The letter comes one week after the group disrupted a Smyrna City Council meeting. About 30 people showed up at that meeting to protest the promotion of Sgt. Kenneth Owens to lieutenant. Owens fired the fatal shot into the 23-year-old Thomas' back in March, according to an autopsy report.
Police said Thomas tried to run over them when Owens shot him. Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds took the case to a grand jury, which decided in July against indicting the officer.
Williams’ letter says police wanted “revenge” against Thomas because he had escaped an arrest attempt the night before he was shot. Police then served a warrant to Thomas at his employer Goodyear on Cobb Parkway, when he was shot while trying to flee in a customers’ Maserati.
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