Document Sheds Light on Cold Spring Officer Shooting Case

A court document used to keep Ryan Larson in custody is shedding new light on the events that happened the night a Cold Spring Police Officer was gunned down.

The “Application for Judicial Determination of Probable Cause to Detain” indicates the other police officer at the murder scene of Thomas Decker stayed in his squad car and didn’t get out after the shooting.

The document states Greg Reiter, who is a part-time Cold Spring Police officer, was the first officer to respond to the reports of a suicidal Larson at his Cold Spring Apartment. The document indicates Reiter didn't make contact with Larson the first time he went to Winner’s Bar on Thursday, November 29th after 9:00 p.m.

The document shows Reiter returned at about 10:35 p.m. because he saw Larson's vehicle parked at the bar. Reiter then waited for Decker as back up. Decker arrived on the scene at about 10:45 p.m. and immediately got out his squad car. The document also states Reiter then reported hearing two loud “bangs" after Decker got out of his squad.

Officer Reiter claimed he saw a white male, approximately 6 feet tall wearing a dark colored hoodie sweatshirt and jeans with a dark colored stocking cap standing near the front of Officer Decker's squad car a few seconds later. Reiter claimed he was pointing a handgun in a shooting position at him.

The document read Reiter reverse out of the parking lot to the east, and could see Decker lying on the ground. Reiter then watched as the suspect walked to the west, according to the document. Reiter claimed he “lost visual contact with the suspect”.

A short time later, back up officers arrived to find Decker dead on the ground. A perimeter was set up and the scene was secured.

At approximately 12:15 a.m. a Special Emergency Response Team, SERT, entered Larson’s apartment and found him lying on his bed with a handgun next to him. The document states” a SERT Officer asked Larson about the whereabouts of the gun for Officer safety purposes and Larson told them is was under the pillow. Larson was then arrested without incident.”

A search warrant was obtained for Larson’s apartment. During the search, Investigators found surveillance equipment with a view of the murder scene. The court document stated there was not recording capabilities on the equipment, but the power was on. A hooded sweatshirt that matched Reiter’s description was also found in the apartment.

Even though the document shows Reiter described the suspect that have a handgun, investigators still asked the public to help find a .20-gauge shotgun believed to be the murder weapon. The document also mentions Larson had a handgun next to him in his bed when arrested.

Larson was released five days after his arrest when prosecutors said there was not sufficient evidence to charge him.

Larson's Attorney Joe Friedberg tells KSTP Officer Reiter's description of a suspect holding a handgun contradicts earlier statements by investigators that they believe a 20-gauge shotgun was used to killed Decker. "How did he mistake a shotgun for a pistol? Nothing Credible come out of this. He is either a coward or a liar or both," said Friedberg.

 

Officer Decker Shooting - Court Document

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