After attempting unsuccessfully to serve a felony arrest warrant, Smyrna police said they were forced to shoot a man inside a Maserati, police said Tuesday afternoon. The car was headed toward officers, who feared for their lives, according to police.
By late Tuesday, neither the man’s name nor his criminal history were released by police. But the man’s parents identified him as 25-year-old Nicholas Taft Thomas.
Thomas was working at the Goodyear store on Cumberland Parkway when Smyrna and Cobb officers arrived around 1:30 p.m. to serve the warrant, according to police. But when the man saw police, he left the store and got into a white, four-door Maserati, police said.
It was not known who owned the high-end luxury car. But police said the man drove it toward officers, prompting police to fire multiple shots at the vehicle. Thomas died at the scene near Cumberland Mall.
None of the three Cobb police officers on the scene at the time of the incident discharged their firearms, Cobb police Sgt. Dana Pierce said.
A heavy police presence was seen in the area throughout the afternoon. Among those who arrived at the scene were parents who told Channel 2 Action News it was their son who was killed.
Her son loved cars and was the father of a baby, Felicia Thomas told Channel 2.
“My son was a lovable guy,” she said. “He would do anything for anybody. He just had a baby.”
A witness to the shooting said the Maserati had hit a curb and was not driving toward officers when shots were fired. Smyrna police declined to respond to questions about the incident.
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