BALTIMORE, MD - On Wednesday, April 17th, Baltimore prosecutors announced the arrest of a man wanted for the 2017 murder of an off-duty Washington, D.C. police officer.
According to CBS News, the officer, Sgt. Tony Anthony Mason Jr., was fatally shot while sitting in a parked car with a woman he had been dating. The woman was also shot, but she survived those injuries.
In their press release, prosecutors said that the cold case sat unsolved for five years until detectives received a tip in the beginning of 2023 that allowed them to start up their investigation again. The investigation led to the successful arrest of now 24-year-old Dion Thompson. Thompson was 18 years old at the time of the shooting and is currently serving time in a federal prison on unrelated drug and gun charges.
In a statement, State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates said, "A cold case is still very much fresh in the hearts and minds of the victim's family. My main job as State's Attorney is holding offender's accountable, bringing closure for those impacted, and ensuring justice for Baltimore, the victims, and their loved ones."
The charging documents for the 2017 shooting do not include a clear statement of motive and are based almost entirely on the account of someone who knew Thompson, but did not directly witness the crime. According to the documents, the person said that Thompson admitted to shooting up a parked car because as he was leaving his friend's grandmother's house, he spotted a vehicle whose occupants he didn't recognize and became paranoid.
He thought that the people in the car were "there to either rob him or retaliate against him for all the robberies he was committing" at the time. Later on, while watching the news, Thompson learned that the person he shot dead was an off-duty police officer. The witness told police that after realizing that, Thompson drove to Philadelphia to get rid of the vehicle he was driving the night of the shooting.
Court documents also state that investigators said that Thompson was the leader of a gang called, "The Slickest Ones" or "TSO." Investigators said that Thompson teamed up with accomplices going by the street names of "Man-man" and "Chub" to carry out the shooting. Officials said that no one else has yet been charged in the case against Mason.
In a statement, Bates said, "It is critically important that we utilize the latest investigative techniques and technology to put fresh eyes on once-forgotten crimes in an effort to bring closure to those who were impacted while sending the message to offenders that their malicious acts will not go unaddressed."
Thompson has been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and related charges for the shooting death of Mason. According to the press release from the State's Attorney Office, "The charges against Mr. Thompson resulted from a thorough inter-agency investigation conducted by the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Section, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco. This is yet another example of an older case that benefitted from focused attention and resources."
At the time of the shooting, Mason was a 17-year veteran of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. He was unarmed during the attack and was not wearing any clothing to identify himself as a law enforcement officer. Detectives said that extensive background checks for both Mason and the woman he was with turned up no signs of criminal or gang activity.
In a statement, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said, "For far too long, the details surrounding Sergeant Mason's tragic death have remained a painful mystery. While we cannot erase the pain of loss or the memories of that day, we can take solace in the fact that the person responsible is being brought to justice."
According to CBS News, the officer, Sgt. Tony Anthony Mason Jr., was fatally shot while sitting in a parked car with a woman he had been dating. The woman was also shot, but she survived those injuries.
In their press release, prosecutors said that the cold case sat unsolved for five years until detectives received a tip in the beginning of 2023 that allowed them to start up their investigation again. The investigation led to the successful arrest of now 24-year-old Dion Thompson. Thompson was 18 years old at the time of the shooting and is currently serving time in a federal prison on unrelated drug and gun charges.
In a statement, State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates said, "A cold case is still very much fresh in the hearts and minds of the victim's family. My main job as State's Attorney is holding offender's accountable, bringing closure for those impacted, and ensuring justice for Baltimore, the victims, and their loved ones."
The charging documents for the 2017 shooting do not include a clear statement of motive and are based almost entirely on the account of someone who knew Thompson, but did not directly witness the crime. According to the documents, the person said that Thompson admitted to shooting up a parked car because as he was leaving his friend's grandmother's house, he spotted a vehicle whose occupants he didn't recognize and became paranoid.
He thought that the people in the car were "there to either rob him or retaliate against him for all the robberies he was committing" at the time. Later on, while watching the news, Thompson learned that the person he shot dead was an off-duty police officer. The witness told police that after realizing that, Thompson drove to Philadelphia to get rid of the vehicle he was driving the night of the shooting.
Court documents also state that investigators said that Thompson was the leader of a gang called, "The Slickest Ones" or "TSO." Investigators said that Thompson teamed up with accomplices going by the street names of "Man-man" and "Chub" to carry out the shooting. Officials said that no one else has yet been charged in the case against Mason.
In a statement, Bates said, "It is critically important that we utilize the latest investigative techniques and technology to put fresh eyes on once-forgotten crimes in an effort to bring closure to those who were impacted while sending the message to offenders that their malicious acts will not go unaddressed."
Thompson has been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and related charges for the shooting death of Mason. According to the press release from the State's Attorney Office, "The charges against Mr. Thompson resulted from a thorough inter-agency investigation conducted by the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Section, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco. This is yet another example of an older case that benefitted from focused attention and resources."
At the time of the shooting, Mason was a 17-year veteran of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. He was unarmed during the attack and was not wearing any clothing to identify himself as a law enforcement officer. Detectives said that extensive background checks for both Mason and the woman he was with turned up no signs of criminal or gang activity.
In a statement, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said, "For far too long, the details surrounding Sergeant Mason's tragic death have remained a painful mystery. While we cannot erase the pain of loss or the memories of that day, we can take solace in the fact that the person responsible is being brought to justice."
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