Dunwoody Detective, Officer Cleared Of Use Of Deadly Force In Shooting

DUNWOODY, GA — A Dunwoody detective and an officer reasonably used deadly force against a suspect who was accused of pointing a gun at officers during a December 2022 shooting, police said Tuesday.

Dunwoody Police said an internal investigation recently concluded the detective and officer "acted within the confines of applicable federal law, federal case laws and Georgia’s state laws" in a Dec. 8, 2022, shooting in the 100 block of Perimeter Center West. The detective was a patrol officer at the time of the shooting, police told Patch.

The shooting happened around 2:45 p.m., when officers responded to a trouble unknown call, police said. Officers made contact with the suspect, who was accused of pulling out a gun and pointing it at officers during the encounter.

The detective and officer shot at the suspect and missed him, police said. Moments later, the suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The officers and the suspect were not injured.

Police later identified the suspect as Khalil Thomas, 23. He was charged on suspicion of four counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, police said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was initially asked to respond when the shooting occurred; however, police said the agency declined the request since no one was injured.

Therefore, Dunwoody Police asked the Sandy Springs Police Department to independently
review the shooting, which was done concurrently with Dunwoody’s investigation and resulted in the same findings, Dunwoody Police said.

All documents have been forwarded to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office for review.