Ramonne and Terrica Thomas say they are still in the dark two years after their 21-year-old son, Boston Thomas, died following a police PIT maneuver during a Cobb County pursuit in the predawn hours of May 19, 2024. The Mableton couple filed a civil lawsuit in May 2026, seeking sworn testimony and records they say officials have kept out of public view. They contend bodycam, dashcam and home security footage contradict the official accounts and want a judge to force those records into the open.
Shortly before 3 a.m. on May 19, 2024, a Cobb County officer signaled a Lexus to stop after noticing a faulty headlight. Police say the driver briefly pulled over, then took off, triggering a short pursuit that ended with a PIT maneuver. The Lexus rolled several times and came to rest in woods near the Chattahoochee River. Boston Thomas, described by authorities as the only occupant, was ejected and later pronounced dead at Kennestone Hospital. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, records show the officer, Connor Gehan, completed vehicle pursuit and PIT training in August 2022, was briefly placed on administrative leave after the crash and had no prior disciplinary history.
Family Lawsuit Says Reports Do Not Match Video
In a complaint filed in May 2026 in Cobb County State Court, the Thomases allege the officer violated department pursuit policy and that colleagues later worked together to make the maneuver appear justified. Terrica Thomas told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "We feel like we lost a kid so senselessly." Their attorneys say bodycam and dashcam footage, along with recordings from the family’s home security camera, raise serious questions about the official narrative and they want officers questioned under oath. The suit notes the driver was not wearing a seat belt and that a Fulton County medical examiner's toxicology report was negative. The complaint argues those facts do not explain the decision to use a high speed PIT maneuver.
Experts Push Tighter Limits On Police Pursuits
National policing experts say PIT maneuvers carry inherent risks, especially at higher speeds, and should be reserved for narrowly defined situations. The Police Executive Research Forum’s 2023 guidance urges agencies to limit pursuits to suspects in violent felonies and to lean more on technology and active supervisory oversight. According to the Police Executive Research Forum, PITs "should be prohibited under all but very narrowly defined circumstances."
What Comes Next In Court
The lawsuit is set to move through the civil courts, with filings, discovery and potentially depositions that could pull back the curtain on departmental decision making and training. The Thomases say they want a public courtroom record that forces a clearer accounting of how and why the pursuit unfolded the way it did. Their attorneys say the case is aimed not only at getting answers about Boston’s death but also at driving policy changes that could help prevent similar incidents in the future. Cobb County has not yet been required to respond to the complaint.
