Special Agent Thomas John Wyatt

I was a young 22 year old intern under Joel Kohout in 1998. I had just graduated from UMD with degrees in psychology and criminology and I was heading off to Illinois State to get a masters in criminal justice that fall. Special Agent Wyatt was in his late 20s still but he had a presence and leadership quality when he entered the room that was startling and absolutely unforgettable! He may have had supervisors in charge of him but I got the impression that this guy was in charge of himself. He exuded a strength and passion for what he did but you could tell he was ethical and was not impressed by his own badge and gun and would not take for granted or misuse the authority he had. I knew he passed away years ago but my wife and I had moved out of MN. Though never became a sworn officer I did work with law enforcement as a criminal intelligence analyst and in that time I never encountered anyone with a badge and gun even remotely in the same league as Tom. Had he lived I am certain he would be running that agency by now and he would have had no time for corruption or incompetence like I saw in the agency I ended up in! Law enforcement suffered a big loss 16 years ago but I want his family to know that a young intern learned a lot that summer. Not only did he learn about a woman who pioneered by taking up a law enforcement career in the 70s when almost all females were at home raising the neighborhood but he learned what can happen when good people with just intentions take control of a room! Things get done and they get done right. I had never seen anyone like Tom before that summer and have never seen anyone like him since then.

John Weis Civilian
1998 BCA intern

May 14, 2020