In the late hours of a Sunday evening, on June 5, 2016, the life of 34-year-old Lemar Thomas, a Black male from Madison, Tennessee, was tragically cut short. The events unfolded at the Berkley Hills Apartments, where a heated confrontation led to gunfire. Earlier that evening, a man named James DeMoss, aged 30, had reportedly assaulted and threatened his wife and two other individuals within the apartment complex.
A call for help was made to Lemar Thomas by one of the victims inside the
apartment, who informed him that DeMoss was armed and making threats. Thomas, armed with a rifle, made his way to the parking lot of the complex. There, he encountered DeMoss, leading to a fatal confrontation. According to witness accounts, DeMoss fired at Thomas while Thomas was holding his own weapon down.
Emergency services were called to the scene, and Thomas was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in critical condition. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.
In the aftermath of the shooting, James DeMoss turned himself into the authorities. He was subsequently taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, and one count of reckless endangerment for his role in the events of that night. A bond was set at $1,250,000.
