Police have identified the officer who was killed by an alleged drunk driver Tuesday night near the Downtown Connector.
Senior Police Officer Gail D. Thomas, 46, was helping another officer when she was killed., Atlanta police spokesman Mr. Carlos Campos said.
A Zone 5 officer arrived at 11 p.m. to handle a single car accident on the ramp to I-85 north from I-75 south.
The officer called for additional units to assist with traffic control while the investigation was conducted.
Officer Thomas was the second officer to arrive. Shortly after exiting her vehicle, she was struck by an oncoming vehicle, Mr. Campos said.
Officer Thomas had just started her watch when she was killed.
Police have charged the driver, Ms. Chasity Jones, of Stone Mountain, with first-degree vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and reckless driving, Mr. Campos said.The 22-year-old blew a .16 on the scene and refused consent for a state administered blood alcohol reading, Mr. Campos said.
However, a search warrant was obtained and blood was retrieved at Grady Memorial Hospital, he said.
Ms. Jones is expected to have her first court appearance Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, the department mourns the loss of one of their own.
Officer Katie Riester, who lowered the flag outside the police headquarters to half-staff Wednesday morning, remembered her fallen colleague as a “great police officer” who “loved policing.”
“She will be so missed by everyone here,” Officer Riester told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“She was such a sweet person,” Officer Riester said. “Her smile was just infectious; she could just brighten up a room.”
Former Atlanta police Major John Woodard, who once supervised Officer Thomas, agreed. He told the AJC in an e-mail that the officer "always had a smile on her face."
"Gail was one of the nicest people that you would ever want to meet," Maj. Woodard said. "Her death will leave a hole in the hearts of those who knew her."
Officer Thomas had been a city employee for 20 years, 15 of which she served as a police officer.
“I am deeply saddened that one of our police officers lost her life in the line of duty last night,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said. “Senior Police Officer Thomas was a veteran police officer whose sense of duty and commitment to public safety inspired many of her fellow officers. The City of Atlanta is quiet as we mourn this terrible loss. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and colleagues during this difficult time.”
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