About 5 p.m., someone called 911 after noticing an unconscious man in the driver's seat of a vehicle stopped in the road. The driver woke up when deputies arrived. During the ensuing confrontation, deputies shot and killed the driver. Details as to what precipitated the killing were withheld by police.
Agency: Carolina County Sheriff's Office
Motive: unconscious person in vehicle
Confrontation Type: Mental Health/Welfare Check
Service Call: Yes
Body Camera: no
Official Disposition: Pending investigation
Victim Name: Richard Fenton Thomas
Death Date: February 1, 2021
County: McCurtain
Geography: Rural
Gender: Male
Age: 58
Race: White
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: No
Armed: Unarmed/Did Not Have Actual Weapon
Weapon: no object
Threat Level: undetermined
Fleeing: not fleeing
Washington Post Database ID: 6562