Family members and eyewitnesses are questioning Georgia police officers’ accounts of what led to the fatal shooting of Nicholas Thomas this week.
The Smyrna officers who were involved said they feared for their lives because Thomas was driving a white Maserati “directly at them.”
The officers arrived at Goodyear Tire where Thomas worked to serve an arrest warrant for a probation violation. Thomas then entered his vehicle and sped at them, officers said.
“When you go to serve a suspect who knows that he is wanted, he is unpredictable and we have to react based on his actions,” said Sgt. Ed Cason with the Smyrna Police Department.
Watch a full report on the shooting death of Nicholas Thomas below:
At least one witness, a customer at the Goodyear, has disputed their version of events.
“They were standing behind the car, opening fire,” Brittany Eustache said. “[Thomas] wasn’t driving towards them. The car was not moving when they began to shoot at him. The car had been stopped. He hit a curb. He couldn’t go any further.
Thomas’ mother Felicia told WSBTV her son recently became a father.
“He was a lovable guy,” she said. “He was just a lovable guy. He would do anything for everybody. He was just loved cars. He loved his family. He just had a baby. His baby is not even 5 months old.”
Investigators looking into how many of the six officers on scene actually opened fire.