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Decker, Partner & 'Person Of Interest' Linked Before Officer's Death

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Days after details were released regarding the latest person of interest in an officer's death, documents show the two crossed paths before.

Cold Spring Police Officers Tom Decker and Greg Reiter had arrested Eric Thomes, now a person of interest in Decker's murder, for a DWI back in August 2011.

Reiter was also with Decker at the time of his murder, but left the scene. He had said while he saw the murder suspect walk away that November night, he could not give a good description of him.

Thomes killed himself last Wednesday when authorities came to his girlfriend's rural Cold Spring home to interview him about Decker's death.

It was Reiter who filled out the paperwork on the August 2011 arrest, including the physical description of Thomes.

Documents from the 2011 arrest show that Thomes was drinking at Winner's Bar before his arrest. It was in Winner's parking lot were Decker was shot and killed in November.

After Thomes' suicide, authorities recovered the murder weapon at a home authorities say Thomes had access to.

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