Off-duty Fulton County Sheriff’s deputy found shot to death in crashed vehicle
Atlanta Georgia December 30, 2022 The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of a 24-year-old deputy found fatally shot in his car in northwest Atlanta on Thursday morning.
The sheriff’s office said Deputy James Thomas was killed while off duty sometime around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat called him “the life of the party” and a “good spirit,” who he personally hired from a law enforcement agency south of Atlanta.
Police are still looking for the shooter. According to authorities, officers were called to the scene at around 4:30 a.m. after reports of a person shot. They found a car that had been in a crash with the victim still inside.
The hunt continues for the gunman who shot and killed an off-duty Fulton County Sheriff’s deputy. It happened on Bolton Road in northwest Atlanta around 4:30 Thursday morning. The deputy was on his way home from work.
Atlanta police investigators spoke to the driver of a van who heard gunshots. They’re cooperating with investigators and police don’t believe that person is linked to the shooting.
“The van observed the victim’s vehicle kind of driving erratically in the middle of the road on Bolton Road,” Atlanta police investigator Peter Malecki said. “When they went to pass that vehicle is when they belie they heard gunfire.”
It is unclear whether the deputy was shot before or after the crash.
“Right now, we do not know if the shooter was a pedestrian on foot or if he was perhaps in another vehicle,” Malecki said.
The reward in the case was increased to $30,000. If you have any information that could help the investigation, call the Atlanta Police Department or Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS(8477) or submit a tip online at crimestoppersatlanta.org.
