Suspect Alton Oliver arrested in connection to the killing of Fulton County deputy James Thomas

According to police, the man is suspected of killing the deputy on Bolton Road at about 4:30 a.m. on Thursday.

A suspect has been detained by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the murder of officer James Thomas, 24,

On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. revealed that the suspect is a man named Alton Oliver, who is 26 years old. According to Hampton, he is currently being held in prison at the Cobb County Jail.

Oliver is accused of committing felony murder, aggravated assault, and having a handgun while committing a felony while he was in possession of the pistol.

Hampton praised the work of the homicide team and the crime scene technician, noting that they spent hours searching the area and seeking for more clues. Hampton also gave appreciation to two detectives who worked the case during the New Year’s holiday and assisted in apprehending the suspect.

Police took credit to “effort of civilians” including a 911 caller and truck drivers who provided dash cam videos but provided few more details about how they identified the perpetrator.

The city’s voluntary camera network was also praised by Mayor Andre Dickens, who also urged other citizens and businesses to join at connectatlanta.org.

On the morning of the last Thursday, about 4:30 in the AM, Deputy Thomas’s body was discovered shot to death in the driver’s seat of a crashed vehicle on Bolton Road in the Riverside community.

According to statements made by Deputy Chief Hampton on Tuesday, it looked that “the suspect was on foot and there was some form of altercation that escalated to the firing.”

It is not thought that Thomas and Oliver were acquainted with one another and that they had any previous interaction before the argument that took place between them.

Sheriff Pat Labat of Fulton County expressed his gratitude to the Atlanta Police Department and stated that “we are really thankful to the investigation effort that resulted to the arrest.”

According to what Labat had to say, “the family needs time to recover,” and “we beg you to allow them the grace and space to do so.”

The funeral ceremonies for Thomas will be place in his home state of Mississippi, according to the sheriff, but there will be a memorial ceremony held on Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Assembly Hall at the Fulton County Government Center.