LOCAL
Officer cleared in
shooting named
new police chief
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
t
Sergeant Lynn Thomas
Sergeant Lynn Thomas,
who was cleared of any
wrongdoing in the shooting
of an unarmed man, has
been named the new chief of
police of Avondale Estates.
Thomas was sworn
into office July 27 during
the board of mayor and
commissioners’ regular
meeting. Thomas is replacing
former chief Gary L. Broden,
who retired in June after 26
years of service.
“It is an honor to
serve the city of Avondale
Estates as chief of police,”
Thomas said in a released
statement. “I appreciate
the community support that
has been demonstrated to
me and other members of the Avondale Estates Police
Department.”
Thomas has worked for the Avondale Estates Police
Department since April 2002, after graduating from the
Clayton County Police Academy in 2002. In 2004, he
was promoted to corporal, then to sergeant in 2007.
Thomas was investigated after the 2013 shooting of
Jayvis Benjamin. Benjamin, who was unarmed, stole a
car then attacked an officer after crashing into someone’s
yard, according to reports.
In March, the DeKalb County District Attorney’s
office said after investigating the case the shooting was
justified.
City manager Clai Brown said at the meeting that
Thomas was one of three Avondale Estates officers to
apply for the chief position.
“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Brown said. “We had
a lot of great applicants. We had three internal, which
made me really proud to see that we have the quality
of police officers here working in the city that actually
qualified and can step into the chief position. I was really
happy to see that. I spoke to the other two, they are in
support of Lynn and I’m excited. I’m really excited to work
with Lynn.”
Commissioner Terry Giager said he has known
Thomas for a long time.
“He has always performed with a lot of loyalty,
friendship, compassion,” Giager said. “He was there for
my family in two deaths and we couldn’t get him to leave.
He waited until everything was calm, everything was
settled and I just commend [him] for the way [he has]
lived [his] life and the character that [he] represent, and I
pray that [he] will continue to do that and teach the other
members of [the] force to live in the same role model that
[he has] represented.”
According to a city press release, Thomas received
the 2007 Meritorious Service Award and Officer of the
Year Award in 2015 from the city.
“It is a privilege to serve this community, agency,
city manager, and board of mayor and commissioners,”
Thomas said in the release. “My goal is to assist with
maintaining the level of professional service the Avondale
Estates Police Department provides, while helping create
new avenues that will continue to build on the reputation
of a strong community-based policing organization
moving into the future.”
i'L. 6
ICHAMHOM
Aug. 4-10, 2016 » Page 11A
HOMELESS Continued From Page 9A
said. Or dog food for Bailey.
The previous three years spent in
the Candler/McAfee area have not been
easy for the Fitchett sisters. Cylinthia
said she went to at least 18 different
agencies seeking help. Despite the
sisters’ willingness to work, Cylinthia
said she and her sister have been
turned down because they don’t “fit the
mold” for certain agencies that cater
to disabled veterans, women escaping
domestic abuse or women with children.
Cylinthia said she has contacted
the office of District 3 Commissioner
Larry Johnson, but has not received a
response.
Nathan Knight, president of the
DeKalb County chapter of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference
(SCLC), met the Fitchett sisters in
September of 2013.
Knight said he wants to do all he
can to help and hopes to launch the Big
Heart Housing initiative. The initiative
would take donated homes or properties
from community members and the SCLC
would then provide the home to women
in need such as Cylinthia and Camille.
“The purpose of the initiative is to
try to get a house that we can fix up and
make available to families. We felt like
Cylinthia and her sister have shown that
there’s a lot that needs to be done by
churches and civil rights organizations
in the community,” Knight said. “They
need our help. What they need is a
place where they can feel comfortable
and know that they have a place to come
back to that is theirs.”
Knight said SCLC is in search
of companies, lenders, real estate
executives or individuals that would
like to donate a home for the Big Heart
Clothes, personal belongings and other items
collected by the Fitchett sisters sit in a pile by
the old Rhema Christian Fellowship Church on
McCafee Road in Decatur
Housing initiative. Knight said donors will
receive a tax write-off.
“All homeless people aren’t the
stereotypical homeless people,”
Cylinthia said. “We both had jobs and we
lost them. It was just a snowball effect
and one thing happened after another
and we ended up here. I would have
never thought this would happen to us.
Twenty years ago this was not on my
agenda. This is not anything I thought I
would experience and now I have, but it
helps strengthen me.”
(3) Great Expressions
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