Alton Oliver found not guilty in death of Fulton County Deputy James Thomas Jr.
Verdict in Fulton County deputy's death
Alton Oliver has been found not guilty on all counts in the deadly shooting of Deputy James Thomas Jr.
ATLANTA - A Fulton County jury found Alton Oliver not guilty on all charges Friday in the 2022 death of off-duty Fulton County Deputy James Thomas Jr.
‘Didn’t I say not?'
What we know:
The verdict came after more than nine hours of deliberations.
Initially, Judge Henry Newkirt mistakenly announced a guilty verdict, prompting jurors to question it.
FULL VIDEO: Verdict delivered in Alton Oliver trial
A jury reached a verdict on Friday afternoon in the trial of Alton Oliver, who was accused of killing off-duty Deputy James Thomas Jr. after he was allegedly propositioned for sex by Thomas.
He quickly corrected himself, declaring Oliver not guilty, which drew audible sighs of relief in the courtroom.
Oliver had faced six charges, including murder and aggravated assault.
What they're saying:
Jurors declined to speak to reporters after being dismissed.
Death of Deputy James Thomas Jr.
The backstory:
The verdict comes after a week-long trial with Oliver taking the stand to testify.
The 26-year-old told the court he was walking home from work around 4:30 a.m. when Thomas drove up in his personal vehicle and offered him a ride before allegedly propositioning him for sex.
Oliver told jurors the deputy returned two more times, each time repeating the proposition, and that he fired into Thomas’ car on the third encounter because he feared for his life.
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Deputy James Thomas. Photo courtesy of Fulton County Sheriff's Office
The defense argued the shooting was self-defense.
Prosecutors argued Oliver’s account was inconsistent, noting he did not mention any sexual advances when first questioned by police. Oliver testified he was in shock and did not want to say too much without a lawyer present.
Oliver did not have a criminal history outside a few traffic infractions at the time of the shooting.
The Source: The details in this article come from proceedings in Fulton County Supervisor Court. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used.