Cold Spring Officer Shot, Killed While Conducting Check

[Dante]

http://www.startribune.com/local/185669142.html

A 31-year-old man who had been under repeated questioning about the shotgun slaying of Cold Spring police officer Thomas Decker killed himself Wednesday after an hours-long standoff with law enforcement at his home near the central Minnesota city, officials said Friday.

Eric J. Thomes, described at this point by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) as a "person of interest," was found hanged in a metal building near his rural Cold Spring home. Thomes ran into the building when he saw investigators arrive for yet another interview, the BCA added.

Authorities also said that the shotgun used to kill Decker on Nov. 29, 2012, was found on property to which Thomes had access.

[Mn01r6]

What the hell happened to the post by the guy that only had ever made one post that predicted this earlier today?

Kinda creeped me out because there was nothing in the news about it at that point.

[Dante]

Yeah apparently someone had some inside information and I was also a little leery of that post so I reported it.

No offense to whoever posted it - it just seemed fishy at the time.

[Mn01r6]

No it was just weird...I had to go read the article to make sure the post happened AFTER the guy had killed himself, because that would have been really creepy if he was still alive when the post happened.

[Keith81]

What the hell happened to the post by the guy that only had ever made one post that predicted this earlier today?

Kinda creeped me out because there was nothing in the news about it at that point.

I saw that post this morning as well. Posted by RLarson007 as in Ryan Larson???

[brauchma]

What the hell happened to the post by the guy that only had ever made one post that predicted this earlier today?

Kinda creeped me out because there was nothing in the news about it at that point.

I saw that post this morning as well. Posted by RLarson007 as in Ryan Larson???

I was up early and saw it as well. I immediately did some Google searches. Then I saw this news today. I was freaked out a bit as well.

[farmerj]

I saw the posting as well.

How to make restitution to a guy the cops were vindictive towards though.

Especially after how they trashed his belongings and life.


I feel for officer Deckers family as well as for thomes in a very small way wondering what led to such a destructive choice.

I can only just shake my head at so much wrongs done all so many parts.

[rtk]

I still think that there is something more to the story here. I don't think that we will ever know the truth.

[CraigJS]

Wonder if it was his shot gun ?

[xd ED]

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_22312026/cold-spring-officer-slaying-weapon-new-suspect-found

Investigators said Friday, Jan. 4, that they had found the weapon used to kill a Cold Spring, Minn., police officer and had a new person of interest in the case. But further complicating an already complicated case is the fact that the person of interest killed himself when police came to question him....

....Agents had interviewed Thomes before, but when they approached his house Wednesday, he fled into an outbuilding and refused to come out. After several hours of trying to make contact, agents entered and found him hanged.

Agents later found a 20-gauge shotgun at a property to which Thomes would have had access. BCA tested it and concluded it was the weapon used to kill officer Tom Decker on Nov. 29 while he responded to a call of a possibly suicidal man. ...

The composition of the article makes the two quoted portions seem somewhat contradictory in terms of the timeline of events

[CraigJS]

"Agents later found a 20-gauge shotgun at a property to which Thomes would have had access. BCA tested it and concluded it was the weapon used to kill officer Tom Decker on Nov. 29 while he responded to a call of a possibly suicidal man. ..."
Wouldn't he have access to about any land not fenced in or guarded?
Strange.

[Mn01r6]

http://www.startribune.com/local/200883271.html

Apparently the widow (who was childless) and ex-wife (who has 4 kids with Decker) are arguing about how to split up the donated money. A receiver has been appointed through the courts. Ugh - doesn't his death put into perspective what's really important?