NewsCrime

Actions

Woodland Park Police close case against CSPD officer, still facing other charges

Sgt. Thomas
Posted
and last updated

COLORADO SPRINGS — We now know a little more about why a Colorado Springs Police Officer is facing charges and have learned that a case against Sergeant (Sgt.) Glenn Eric Thomas was dropped by Woodland Park Police.

An arrest affidavit for intimidating a witness and violating a protection order acquired by News5 details a little more about why Sgt. Thomas was arrested for those charges. The court document is heavily redacted to protect the identities of those involved.

It stems from a report made by a 10-year-old who told a person of trust in an October appointment that Sgt. Thomas had inappropriately touched them while spending the weekend at his house in Woodland Park.

The mandatory reporter notified the Department of Human Resources following the appointment.

The Department of Human Services brought the report to the Woodland Park Police Department after a follow-up interview was conducted by a DHS Case Worker in September of 2024 where the 10-year-old reiterated the inappropriate conduct that occurred at Sgt. Thomas's house in October.

News5 reached out to the Woodland Park Police Department who told us they closed the case against Sgt. Thomas over the alleged sexual misconduct citing there was no probable cause. You can see that communication below:

Good afternoon. The original case was closed because probable cause could not be established by the case officer. We have no other cases open involving this subject.

Woodland Park Police Department Spokesperson via email

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) was referred to the case after Woodland Park Detective met with Sgt. Thomas to investigate the report.

Detectives spoke with him about the alleged misconduct. According to court documents, Sgt. Thomas was open to being interviewed and responded to them on October 4, 2024.

According to the affidavit, following this interview with Woodland Park Police, Sgt. Thomas went to the school the 10-year-old attends to give them lunch. During this time, Sgt. Thomas asked to speak with the 10-year-old and have a third party present during the conversation.

The name of the other individual present was redacted from the affidavit. It says following the conversation, the 10-year-old contacted another person about the meeting with Sgt. Thomas.

That individual called the Woodland Park Police Department and reported the meeting between the two.

The Woodland Park Police Department told the reporting party that since the school was not in Woodland Park Police's jurisdiction, the incident in question would need to be reported to CSPD.

Detective Brianna Britton with CSPD reviewed the case, conducted interviews with the Department of Human Services, and confirmed the case status with the Woodland Park Police Department.

Based on her review, she found Sgt. Thomas's conduct was enough to refer the case to the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office for charges of intimidating a witness and violation of a protection order.

Sgt. Thomas is currently on administrative leave from CSPD pending the results of an internal affairs investigation into the matter. He was released from jail on a $3,000 personal recognizance bond on November 22. He is scheduled to appear in court on December 3.

BACKGROUND

Sgt. Thomas was arrested Thursday for intimidating a witness and for violating a protection order.

CSPD says they received information last month accusing him of inappropriate sexual contact with a minor in Woodland Park. According to CSPD, they learned Sgt. Thomas had also allegedly attempted to intimidate the victim.

Police say detectives with the department had probable cause to arrest Sgt. Thomas for the alleged intimidation incident, and for prohibited contact with a former spouse, which they say is a violation of a protection order.

A judge signed the arrest warrant Thursday, and CSPD says they took Sgt. Thomas into custody without incident.

According to CSPD, Sgt. Thomas has been employed with the department since January 1993 and is assigned to the DUI unit. Sgt. Thomas has been placed on paid administrative leave as the District Attorney's Office reviews the case and files charges.

CSPD says at this time, charges related to the alleged incident in Woodland Park have not been filed.

___



Is it 'truly' affordable to live in Colorado Springs?

How easy is it to find an affordable home? If someone earns $51,000 a year and a third of their income goes to rent, they would need to find an apartment for about $1,280 a month. News5's Eleanor Sheahan takes you on a journey searching for this answer.

The City of Colorado Springs wants public input on affordable housing needs

News Tips
What should KOAA5 cover? Is there a story, topic, or issue we should revisit? Have a story you believe should make the light of day? Let our newsroom know with the contact form below.

____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.