Austin officer interrupts confrontation

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 5, 2001

An Austin police officer on routine patrol early Wednesday interrupted a possibly deadly confrontation between two men.

Thursday, April 05, 2001

An Austin police officer on routine patrol early Wednesday interrupted a possibly deadly confrontation between two men.

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According to an Austin Police Department report, the officer was patrolling in the downtown plaza parking lot area shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday. The officer spotted two men yelling at each other and investigated.

Richard E. Kinder, 37 of 302 19th St. NE, told the officer he was threatened by a man with a knife.

While the conversation was taking place, a man later identified as Thomas Tomlinson, Jr., 34 of 805 6th Ave. SE, was observed walking away from the scene and one eyewitness said he threw a knife away.

Officers apprehended Tomlinson and discovered him to be wearing a knife sheath. Later another eyewitness led officers to where a knife was found lying on the sidewalk.

Tomlinson resisted arrest as he was being placed in a police squad car and had to be maced into submission. He was jailed pending formal charges on second degree felony assault.

Kinder claimed a verbal argument escalated into Tomlinson drawing a knife from its sheath and walking toward him in a threatening manner, while shouting threats to kill him.

Kinder was uninjured, according to the police report.

Death investigated

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death of Eric Lee Lund, 46 of 707 6th St. SE.

According to an Austin Police Department report, Lund’s roommate, William Klapperich, found Lund lying on a couch at their home when he returned from work.

The roommate told police he saw Lund lying on the couch in the same position when he left for work.

It appeared the death did not occur by foul play and Lund’s wallet and wristwatch were on his body, when it was found by the roommate.

Bar burglarized

ROSE CREEK – Woody’s Bar was burglarized sometime between 12:45 and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

According to a Mower County Sheriff’s Department report, thieves used a pry bar to open a rear door to the business along Highway 56 near the west edge of Rose Creek.

Once inside, they forced open an office door and used a beer cart to haul a 500-pound safe out of the establishment and loaded it in a waiting vehicle.

The owners estimate a total loss of $2,700, including the safe and its contents, according to the Sheriff’s Department report.

The owners are taking an inventory today to determine if anything else is missing.