Slain Fulton Deputy Identified; Reward In Case Increased To $30K

ATLANTA, GA — The Fulton County deputy who died Thursday morning after being shot has been identified by authorities as 24-year-old James Thomas.

Thomas was found shot and killed around 4:30 a.m. in his personal car on Bolton Road, near Peyton Road, Atlanta Police said. His car had crashed with a second car that was attempting to pass him, police said. He was off-duty at the time.

According to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Thomas' body was found after the driver of the passing car alerted authorities.

A reward in the case has been increased to $30,000 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect, according to the sheriff's office.

Thomas joined the sheriff's office in August and was assigned to the department's Grady Hospital detention unit. He was recruited from the Milledgeville Police Department "because of his dedication to the law enforcement profession and his remarkable work ethic. He will be truly missed," according to the sheriff's office.

No arrests have been made in the case.

The second person involved in the crash is cooperating with police but is not believed to be directly connected to the shooting, police said.

Police said it is unclear if the shooting happened before or after the crash.

Atlanta Police is investigating the case.

Police ask anyone with information in the case to call Crime Stoppers at (404) 577-8477 or the Atlanta Police Department at (404) 614-6544.