COLD SPRING (WJON News) - Tuesday marks the 10th anniversary of former Cold Spring Officer Tom Decker's death.

In 2012, Decker was conducting a welfare check near a downtown Cold Spring bar when he was ambushed, shot and killed.

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Cold Spring Police Chief Jason Blum says that day put a large target on their small community.

It was chaos. Got a phone call from home saying Tommy was hurt and I needed to come in. On the way in, I called to see what was going on and that's when I got the news he was actually killed.

Blum says being a small department the news of Decker's death hit hard. He says once the word spread, the department was immediately greeted by an overwhelming amount of community support, a trend that continues to this day.

Our department was actually pulled from the roads and we had other agencies from central Minnesota come to town and cover calls for us. It was great support from area law enforcement and there was an outpouring of support from the community throughout that time.

Blum says the two were close friends and would spend their time off fishing. He says Decker was known as a jokester, family-oriented, and loved his community.

In 2018, The Stearns County Sheriff's Office closed the investigation into Decker's murder after a person of interest, Eric Thomes, committed suicide in 2013.

A bronze statue honoring Decker and all law enforcement will be dedicated next year.

 

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