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Christopher Thomas

Age : 22

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 12/27/2021

Location : 2000 block of Cline Street

City : Lake Charles

County : Calcasieu

State : Louisiana

Agency : Lake Charles Police Department

Officer(s) :Not disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during armed confrontation

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 12/27/2021, Lake Charles Police Department officers responded shortly after 9:45 p.m. to a report of a man with a handgun in the 1000 block of Mill Street. Louisiana State Police later identified the man as Christopher Thomas, 22, of Lake Charles. Police alleged Thomas had fired several shots toward a residence and then left on foot.
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According to Louisiana State Police, Thomas later returned to the Mill Street residence and allegedly fired multiple additional rounds, striking a person inside the residence in the foot. Police subsequently located Thomas at another residence in the 2000 block of Cline Street shortly after 3:00 a.m. on December 28.
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Lake Charles police surrounded the Cline Street residence and ordered Thomas to surrender. Police alleged that Thomas fired multiple rounds at officers from inside the house. During subsequent negotiations, Thomas came through the front door carrying a handgun and wearing body armor. Officers attempted to negotiate with him face-to-face before he went back inside.
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Louisiana State Police reported that Thomas subsequently stood in the front doorway and allegedly fired toward officers. Lake Charles officers opened fire and struck him. Thomas was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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Although Thomas died after midnight on December 28, the police encounter that led directly to the fatal standoff began on December 27. The database Date field therefore remains 12/27/2021 under the incident-date rule.
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Lake Charles Police Department requested that Louisiana State Police investigate the fatal shooting. Louisiana State Police served as the lead investigative agency, with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office Forensic Investigative Unit assisting with scene processing.
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Contemporary reporting indicates investigators intended to locate and review any available residential or other surveillance footage to reconstruct the sequence of events.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Lake Charles Police Department officers who shot Christopher Thomas have not been publicly identified in the verified sources located for this case.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://lsp.org/community-outreach/news/state-police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-lake-charles-4/
https://www.kplctv.com/2021/12/28/louisiana-state-police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-lake-charles/
https://www.katc.com/news/calcasieu-parish/lsp-investigating-shooting-involving-lake-charles-police
https://louisianaradionetwork.com/2021/12/29/state-police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-lake-charles-after-standoff-with-suspect/