La Crosse police lieutenant arrested on drug charges
Judge sets $5,000 signature bond for Brian Thomson
LA CROSSE, WI — La Crosse Police Lieutenant Brian Thomson was arrested on Tuesday after an investigation initiated by the department.
Thomson faces two charges: attempted possession of narcotic drugs and misconduct in office.
The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) started investigating the case after La Crosse police contacted them.
In a news release, the La Crosse Police Department said the “circumstances that lead our department to request DCI to conduct a criminal investigation on one of our own members, along with the preliminary findings of the investigation that lead to criminal charges are unsettling and in direct contrast to the principles embraced by our members.”
La Crosse police said they’re confident that “this breech of the public trust is limited to the actions of Brian Thomson.” Before his arrest, Thomson resigned his position with the department, where he served for 15 years. The majority of that time was on third shift.
During an interview with News 8 Wednesday, La Crosse Police Chief Ron Tischer said, “we always hold ourselves to a higher standard, we hold ourselves accountable, and it definitely has an effect on morale because somebody has tarnished our badge and that’s not something we want to deal with.”
21472402A La Crosse County judge set a $5,000 signature bond Wednesday afternoon with the condition of no controlled substances.
La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke said in court that his office will not be handling the case due to a conflict. He says they will be appointing a special prosecutor.
Thomson is scheduled to be back in court on August 30.
