Search fatalities

Le'Den Boykins

Gender : Male

Age : 12

Race : Black

Date : 09/13/2021

Location : Near Interstate 20

City : Paulding

County : Paulding

State : Georgia

Agency : Georgia State Patrol, Paulding County Sheriff’s Office

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Passenger killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On September 13, 2021, a Georgia State Patrol trooper attempted to stop a vehicle driven by a neighbor transporting 12-year-old Le’Den Boykins and another child home from church. The driver refused to comply and continued on Interstate 20. Troopers escalated a chase that reached speeds of approximately 90 miles per hour. Despite knowing minors were in the car, one trooper performed a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, causing the vehicle to flip several times.
The driver was Charlie Moore, a neighbor who regularly took Le’Den and another child to church. According to the Georgia State Patrol incident report and coverage by 11Alive and WXIA, troopers originally stopped Moore for reckless driving and suspected DUI after he allegedly refused to lower his window and refused to produce ID. Troopers claimed that they reported smelling alcohol and seeing “erratic movements” in the vehicle.
When Moore refused to comply, one trooper said:
“If he drives off, we’ll chase him.”
A few seconds later, Moore accelerated away, initiating the chase.
Le’Den Boykins was killed instantly. The dash-cam video released in January 2023 showed troopers acknowledging that children were in the vehicle moments before the PIT maneuver.

No blood-alcohol test results were ever released.
Court records do not show a confirmed BAC in the case file, and the family’s attorney has said repeatedly that Moore was not intoxicated. The state did not pursue a DUI conviction; instead, he was charged with felony murder, vehicular homicide, and fleeing and eluding.
Notoxicology evidence proving the allegations of intoxication has appeared in any of the filings reviewed or in media coverage through 2024. The state cleared the troopers of criminal wrongdoing.
The footage sparked statewide outrage and renewed scrutiny of Georgia’s pursuit tactics, particularly the use of high-risk maneuvers on vehicles carrying passengers. Boykins’ family publicly demanded criminal accountability and filed notice of intent to sue the state. The Georgia State Patrol stated that its internal investigation found troopers acted within current pursuit policy, though the agency confirmed that policy review discussions are ongoing.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/leden-boykins-death-family-releases-dash-cam-video-chase/85-42fce5bd-a65e-40f9-86d7-0b06d704a2fd
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/boy-killed-in-high-speed-chase-leden-boykins/85-aaae28c6-568e-4594-8fc1-045609472e95
https://www.revolt.tv/article/2023-01-13/266859/12-year-old-leden-boykins-passed-from-pit-maneuver-by-georgia-cops