Man accused of killing 24-year-old Fulton deputy offered plea deal to avoid going to trial

ATLANTA — The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has offered a plea deal to a man accused of killing a deputy last year.

According to court records obtained by Channel 2 Action News, 26-year-old Alton Oliver was offered life in prison to avoid trial in the deal. He has 10 days before his Dec. 13 trial to accept it.

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Oliver was arrested in Jan. 2023 after being accused of killing Fulton County Deputy James Thomas, 24, in Dec. 2022.

Investigators believe Oliver shot and killed Thomas while he was off duty and in his personal car near the intersection of Bolton Road and Peyton Road.

At the time of Thomas’ death, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said Thomas had been with the sheriff’s office for less than a year and was part of the Grady Detention Unit. Labat described the 24-year-old deputy from Mississippi as “the life of the party.”

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“He was an outstanding young man. We personally recruited him from another police department down south specifically because of the energy and his love for what he brought to our agency,” Labat said.

Channel 2 Action News Reporter Courtney Francisco was there as Thomas’ co-workers came together for a memorial service in his honor days later.

“I grieve. My world is upside down. That was my firstborn, and I thank God he ended up being what he wanted to be,” said James Thomas, Sr.

Channel 2 Action News reached out to Oliver’s legal team regarding the plea but has not received a response.

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