»UPDATE: Family disputes Smyrna police account of fatal shooting
ORIGINAL STORY: The family of Nicholas Thomas, the man shot and killed by Smyrna police Tuesday afternoon, will speak about the case at a Thursday press conference in Decatur.
Thomas parents’ have called for the FBI to probe the shooting, which happened shortly after Smyrna and Cobb police went to the Goodyear store on Cumberland Parkway where he worked to serve a felony arrest warrant.
The Cobb County Police Department, whose officers provided backup to the Smyrna officers but never fired their weapons, is investigating, Cobb police Sgt. Dana Pierce said.
Thomas, 25, was convicted of felony charges last year but did not serve time in prison. He was sentenced to seven years, with 56 days in jail and the remainder on probation for aggravated assault against a police officer. Police said Thomas had allegedly violated his probation and that an arrest warrant had been issued for him. Smyrna and Cobb police had gone to serve the warrant when Thomas got into the car and drove off at high speed.
Police say officers shot at the Maserati that Thomas was driving recklessly while speeding toward them and that they feared for their lives.
Describing the incident, Smyrna police Sgt. E.R. Cason said one officer fired into the Maserati and the vehicle came to a stop. Officers ordered Thomas out of the car, but there was no response, Cason said.
Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas’ father told Channel 2 Action News that while his son was trying to get away, “he didn’t kill anybody.”
At 10:30 a.m. Thursday, family members and attorneys will “provide a statement regarding their next steps in seeking answers in the death of Mr. Thomas,” the Davis Bozeman Law Firm said in an emailed statement.
Robert Bozeman called Thomas’ death “… the latest in a disturbing trend of killings of unarmed African American men.”
That sentiment was echoed on social media, where users debated if Tuesday’s shooting was justified. Nicholas Thomas quickly became a hashtag on Twitter.
A reporter and photographer with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will be at the press conference.
About the Author
