Family of Boy Killed in 2021 Trooper Chase Rallies at Georgia Capitol for Criminal Charges

The family of a 12-year-old boy who died during a 2021 police chase in Paulding County is still pressing for criminal charges against the state trooper and sheriff's deputies involved. Supporters gathered Wednesday at a rally outside the State Capitol in Atlanta, calling for action in the case of Le'den Boykins.

"Le'den Boykins. Say his name," the crowd chanted. FOX 5 has followed the family's push for justice since the incident occurred.

According to the station's initial report on Sept. 15, 2021, Le'den's father, Anthony Boykins, said his son had been riding in a car with a friend and the friend's parent, Charles Moore. The Georgia State Patrol said troopers stopped Moore's car on Bethel Church Road at about 1 a.m. for speeding. Investigators said Moore did not lower his window, and troopers tried to break it open. At that point, he drove away.

During the ensuing pursuit, troopers used a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle. The car flipped, and Le'den was thrown out. "I wish he would have just pulled over, but that doesn't give them the right to flip that car over knowing there were kids in it," his father told FOX 5. The boy's parents were out of town at the time and said they were not allowed to see his body for several days after the crash.

Authorities said in 2021 that the troopers were under investigation. When FOX 5 revisited the story in February 2022, there was no update on that review. The Paulding County Sheriff's Office told the station it was saddened by the tragedy but said the driver's actions put officers in the position of having to stop him.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety maintains a policy manual with a section on pursuits, revised April 7, 2016. It says the PIT maneuver "is considered a use of force and the trooper's/officer's individual actions must be objectively reasonable." The manual lists factors that affect the safety of the maneuver, including whether children are visible in the vehicle.

An audio recording of a 911 call from that night, running more than eight minutes, captures Moore telling a dispatcher that children were in the back seat. "I've got my kids with me man," he said. "I've already let them know there are kids in the car. They're trying to flip me, man."

As of Wednesday evening, FOX 5 had received no updates on a formal investigation, and no charges against the trooper or deputies were evident. Attorneys for the family are asking Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case.

Moore was arrested after the chase. He faced a long list of charges, including DUI, open container in a motor vehicle, speeding and driving with a suspended license.