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GBI investigates fatal DeKalb police shooting near Stone Mountain
A DeKalb County officer shot and killed 26-year-old Donquez Thomas on Tuesday morning after authorities said he would not put down a handgun while a woman carrying a baby was with him. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shooting; no one else was injured.
A DeKalb County police officer fatally shot a 26-year-old man Tuesday morning during a domestic incident near Stone Mountain, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting.
Officers were called shortly after 8:40 a.m. to Central Drive near North Hairston Road in unincorporated DeKalb County. The GBI identified the man as Donquez Thomas of Lithonia.
Investigators said officers arrived to find Thomas holding a handgun and pushing a woman down the street by her clothing. The woman was carrying a baby, the GBI said. Officers told Thomas to release them and drop the gun. When he did not comply, an officer fired, according to the agency.
Thomas was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The woman and child were removed safely, and no one else was injured.
A neighbor, Misha Williams, said residents were relieved the woman and baby were safe, while lamenting that the situation ended in a death. “We just have to do better as a whole,” she said.
The GBI routinely investigates shootings involving law enforcement officers. The agency’s findings will be part of the review of the incident.