Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Detective Thomas, thank you for all of your service. You are a true hero and will be missed. May god bless the family and help them through this tragic loss. Please watch over us all from above.

Brother in blue.

Officer
Louisville Police Department, Colorado

September 21, 2006

Rest in peace brother, you will not be forgotten.

Patrolman Shaun McCready
Altoona (PA) Police Department

September 21, 2006

I worked with Mike for a number of years. Mike was a hero.I was with him when he earned his Medal of Honor. He saved all of us from getting seriously hurt that day. Mike had a great sense of humor, he was also quite and dignafied. I enjoyed are many long talks on the cold, slow graveyard nights.

He spoke at my retirement in 2005 polking gentle fun at me, but he also spoke about the respect he had for all of us.

I want his family to know that I will miss him dearly. He was a good officer, a good friend, a gentle giant that could rise to the occassion to get the job done.

Good luck my friend and may God Bless your family.

Chief Jacob Shirk Monuyment CO
Retired Aurora PD

September 21, 2006

May God watch over and direct your spirit. May He comfort your friends and family during this tragic time. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Rest in peace my friend.

Trooper
Pennsylvania State Police

September 21, 2006

Such a tragic loss to the LE community. Your knowledge and years of experience will be missed. Rest easy, God Bless your family and watch over us as you patrol the heavens.

SA MNC
USSS

September 21, 2006

God bless you sir and be with your family, You will truly be missed.

DPD

September 21, 2006

Hero's never die; they just take on new assignments.

May we patrol the streets in Heaven one day, together.

GOD BLESS.

September 21, 2006

Hero's never die; they just take on new assignments.

GOD Bless you and your family!

Your Family to the south, feels the pain that you are all feeling. We mourn and we cry for all of our Brothers and Sisters in blue that never go home at nite. Your lose is our lose.

Rest in Peace my brother, knowing that the coward has been caught and he will pay for his on judgement day.

May our Lord Jesus feel your family and friends hearts with comfort in this time of sorrow.

Thanks for you service and sacrifice,

GOD BLESS

Officer Paladino
Colorado Springs PD

September 21, 2006

Rest in Peace...

Police Officer
Syracuse Police Dept,NY

September 21, 2006

God bless you mikey...You will be missed.

SGT GJ
APD

September 21, 2006

Det. Thomas,

Your safe for end of watch, we have the streets now. My prayers and thoughts go out to your family at home, and in blue.

Investigator M. Weber
Larimer County S.O.

September 21, 2006

Sir, my thoughts are with those you left behind.We'll take your watch from here. Rip Brother

detective
charlottesville police

September 21, 2006

Good man, good Officer.

Officer M Gillis
Aurora Police Department

September 21, 2006

I am sorry that you have left us. You were a fine officer and a good friend to all that knew you. Thank you for your service and dedication. You will be remembered. My deepest condolences to the family and the Aurora Police Department.

Daniel Sopata
Brother of Ofc. Steven Sopata

September 21, 2006

These are hard times for us all. Once again it is time for those of us left behind to pick up the watch of our fallen brother. The burden is great, however with the assistance of St. Michael we carry it proudly.

2330
Colorado Springs PD

September 21, 2006

I wish to express my sincerest sympathy to the family of Officer Michael Thomas, his fellow officers of the Aurora Police Dept., and to the community of Aurora. I share in your pain and sorrow at the loss of a brother in arms. I lost an officer from my unit in February of this year when Detective Jared Jensen was killed in the line of duty. I know the questions and thoughts that are now going through your mind. One of the things that helped us through those difficult first weeks and months was the amazing outpouring of support from our community and from law enforcement brothers and sisters from around the nation. You are not alone in your loss. We share your grief and we offer you our love, prayers and support in your time of sorrow. May you be comforted and know that Officer Michael D. Thomas is not, and will not be forgotten.

Sgt. Richard DuVall
Colorado Springs Police Dept.

September 21, 2006

My heart goes out to Detective Thomas, his family, and the Aurora Police Department. God bless and rest in peace.

Officer Pelay
Fayetteville, NC Police Dept.

September 21, 2006

Rest in Peace, Brother.

Deputy
EPSO-Colorado Springs

September 21, 2006

Mike was one of the best detectives I had met in my short time at the Department. He was always open for questions and was always working harder than everyone else. He was easy going, soft spoken and an all-around nice guy. I learned a great deal about police work from him and he will be dearly missed.

Officer Matthew Springer
Aurora Police Department

September 21, 2006

Another sensless tragedy. "Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called Sons of God. Mathew 5:9

Off. A.M. Whelchel
Waco PD

September 21, 2006

I know that God will be with your family in this diffcult time. You and your family will be in my prayers.


“When God made Peace Officers….”

When the lord was creating Peace Officers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And the Lord said, Have you read the spec on this order? A Peace Officer has to be able to run five miles through alleys in the dark, scale walls, enter homes the health inspector wouldn’t touch, and not wrinkle their uniform.

They have to be able to sit in an undercover car all day on a stakeout, cover a homicide scene that night, canvass the neighborhood for witnesses, and testify in court the next day.

They have to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee and half- eaten meals. And they have to have six pairs of hands.

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands….No Way.”

“It’s not the hands that are causing me the problems,” said the Lord, “It’s the three pairs of eyes an officer has to have.”

That’s on the standard model? asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, “May I see what’s in there sir?” (When they already know and wishes they had taken that accounting job.) Another pair here in the side of their head for their partners’ safety. And another pair of eyes here in front that can look reassuringly at a bleeding victim and say, “ You’ll be alright ma’am, when they know it isn’t so.”

“Lord,” said the angel, touching his sleeve,” rest and work tomorrow.”

“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I already have a model that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol car without incident and feed a family of five on civil service paycheck.”

The angel circled the model of the Peace Officer very slowly, “Can it think?” she asked.

“You bet,” said the Lord, “It can tell you elements of a hundred crimes, recite Miranda warnings in it’s sleep; detain, investigate, search, and arrest a gang member on the street in less time than it takes five judges to debate the legality of the stop…and still it keeps it’s sense of humor.

This officer also has phenomenal personal control. They can deal with crime scenes painted in HELL, coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder victim’s family’ and then read in the daily paper how Law Enforcement isn’t sensitive to the rights of criminal suspects.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Peace Officer. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model.”

“That’s not a leak,” said the Lord, “It’s a tear.”

“What’s the tear for?” asked the angel.

“It’s for bottled-up emotions, for fallen comrades, for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the American flag, and for justice.”

“You’re a genius,” said the angel.

The Lord looked sober. “I didn’t put it there,” he said.

Officer J. Loahr #2755
Colorado Springs PD

September 21, 2006

Mike,
We miss you.

Godsspeed

Sgt. Fred Parker
Aurora P.D.

September 21, 2006

Our agency lost a hero yesterday to a senseless act of violence. All of us pray for his family to be comforted in their loss and in the assurance that they can be proud of the many years of service that Mike provided to society to protect others from those like the cowardly criminal that took his life. We are sorry for your loss.

Sergeant Brian Saupe
Aurora PD

September 21, 2006

A gentle man who will be missed greatly.

Eileen Armagost
Police Payroll Admin. Services

September 21, 2006

A finer man, father, son and friend has never existed. He was always there when I needed a friend. He was a very hard working officer and detective that always took the time to do it right for the community and department he served.
After 24 years I will miss his friendship deeply.
God Bless you Mike.

Ofc. Steve Sopata, Aurora PD
Academy Classmate, Partner & Friend

September 21, 2006