My prayers are with his family. It appears he had some mental issues, but that doesn't make it any less of a tragedy that this happened. I'm sure he still has a grieving family and I feel for them! I think it is also wonderful that law enforcement did stop him before he could have harmed anyone else.

To help people understand how this works

First law enforcement does not have the legal right to arrest someone based on a family member claiming they are mentally ill. At best they have the obligation to attempt to locate the person and speak with them concerning their mental statues. Once it is determined, usually by the subjects own admission that they are not going to harm themselves or others then it’s legally over. However, if a mentally ill person makes statements directly to a law enforcement officer then the officer can act on the statements of suicide / threats and detain him and apply for a court order (96 hour commit). The big problem law enforcement has is the ability to prove that he is going to harm himself and or others. Without some kind of tangible current evidence that proves he is a threat then he cannot be arrested. And the kicker to this is that even when they subject says he wants to harm himself you can only keep him in a mental facility for 96 hours and then they are released… well in very few and I mean very few cases a court order is granted and they are evaluated a little longer. People also need to understand that talking to imaginary people and seeing god in your breakfast cereal is not an arrest able offense. Being crazy is life and not a criminal matter.

Example

The family of Thomas Deeken calls and reports he is going to harm someone at the PA’s office. An hour later an officer sees him on a motorcycle and stops him. The officer would have spoken with him and if Thomas had claimed he was not going to harm anyone and the officer had no tangible evidence to prove otherwise then the officer has no choice but to release him and let him go. Deeken could have made 100’s of threats and assaulted 50 people in the past year and this will legally count for nothing at the time of the stop and interview. Now let’s say that the officer saw him holding a gun after he made the threats and driving to the PA’s office. This gives the allegations that he was going to harm someone more creditability and gives the officer something to work with.

What should have happened

The family with firsthand knowledge and not law enforcement with secondhand information should have gone to the court house and applied for a 96 hour commit order. Once the order was viewed by a judge and granted it would have been turned over to law enforcement to be served. With the proper legal documentation law enforcement would have attempted to locate the person and if they could have been located they would have taken them to the appropriate hospital.

This was a bad deal for everyone and had no good outcome. Our system is designed to protect the innocent and when it is protecting the innocent that usually means there is a new victim out there.

It should be said that the night before this happened Tommy went to his parents house. He was unstable. His own father called the osage county police and asked them to come help. His father told them that if they didnt do something Tommy was going to hurt someone. The police never came. They stated Tommy wont kill anyone. Tommy then went to his sister's house. She has 3 small children. He threatened her and the kids. She called 911 which was dispatched to osage county. They never responded. Tommy was very sick. If the police would have interviened when they were called maybe this wouldnt have happened. And someone from Osage county went to Tommy's parents house the day after. The day after???

Who ever you are. I only have one question for you. Did you know the person involved or the family for that matter?

Seriously people, this is a tragedy. This family is going through pain that obviously none of you have ever dealt with. If you have, you would not be as heartless as you are acting. Also, what makes any of you think that your life is more valuable than this young mans life was? What gives you the right to judge who's life is worth living or worth saving? I agree that it was heroic what the deputies did, I would of ran if I were ever in their situation. Unfortunately, it is their job that they signed up to do. I think it's time for all of you to put your petty, heartless, damned to hell comments to rest and let this family remember him as a wonderful son, brother, and uncle and not a monster that all of you are trying to make him out to be.

First off I would like to apoligize to all of the people that were offended by my comments. These comments were not directed to any specific geographical area. I have seen a number of these threads turn into an opportunity to bash on Law Enforcement. Quite often by people who have never served in a Law Enforcement capacity. I believe it's a tragedy anytime some one loses there live but all to often when there's an officer involved it somehow becomes the officers fault. The simple truth is there is no amount of training that can prepare you for every possible situation that you may came across, therefore you have to use your own best judgement.Law Enforcement officers are as human as anyone else. I would just like to apoligize again to anyone who may have taken offense to any comment I may have made.

My intentions were never to put down a law enforcement agency but to ask why nothing was done sooner when the family asked for help. By the way, I am not a first year psychology student. Criminal Justice graduate to be exact. You sound just like an instructor, how ironic is that. Truly, I am not here to put blame on someone but to ask why with all the information that I do know, how come the local sheriff’s office did pick him up and have him committed based upon that he posed a danger to himself and the community?

You said, “Yes we all have the right to voice our opinions, but what's the point of all this? Is it honestly going to resolve anything or change what happened or make anyone feel better?” To answer your question, “No, it won’t make us feel any better but by discussing this we can learn what to do in the future, how to help improve our law enforcement agencies with cases like this, plus as citizens, it will help us to open our eyes and become more involved in our communities, so that things like this will not happen again.”

First of all, let me say, “Thank God that the officers involved or any bystanders were not hurt.” One question that I would like to pose to anyone reading this is, “If a person is not going to take their medicine and poses a threat to themselves and to others, then what do we do as family, citizens, or law enforcement?”

WOW. you are AWESOME. What a wonderful comment to post in a situation like this. How old are you?

Yes we all have the right to voice our opinions, but what's the point of all this? Is it honestly going to resolve anything or change what happened or make anyone feel better? Complain and point fingers all you want, but it's not going to change anything that happened and it's not our place to judge. It's a tragedy that I hope other families and those in law enforcement will never have to encounter. My deepest sympathy and support go out to both the Deeken family who I know tried to help their family member and also to the families of the officers involved who made sure no one else was hurt in this incident.

If a man wants to take his life let him! That's one less person we have to pay for to be in jail. In all honesty, they should have shot him off his bike right after shots were fired at them. Praying is useless by the way, talking to yourself goes further than any of that jumbalaya, praying is like talking to a friend that only lives in your head who doesn't talk back. Mild schizophrenia is what praying's like. Yeah. That sums it up nicely! Have a wonderful day now ya hear!

I have to agree with Joe. A police officer puts his life on the line to save the lives of others and people are blaming it on the cops? Those policmen have familys too. That man, mental illness or not could have killed the father of some child yesterday when he chose to start shooting. Do you think its right for him to shoot at an innocent person? Its not the officers fault that man had a mental illness, his job was to protect other peoples lives and thats what he did. He is a hero for that.

To B. Mackey, who appears to be a first year psychology student. What do you know of this man's arrest history? Do you know if he has been committed in the past? Do you know how many times the sheriff's department has been involved? Are you aware that state mental hospitals discharge people at the very first opportunity once they are stabilized on medication? Are you aware that law enforcement has no control over the length of time anyone is treated in a state hospital before they are released? I'm sure you have no idea what it might be like to attempt to arrest someone who is travelling 90 mph on a motorcycle and shooting at law enforcement. How incredibly easy it is to make your decisions based on lack of information.

This is a horrible tragedy for the Deeken family and our thoughts and prayers go out to them. This tragedy could have been exacerbated by the loss of other lives and our gratitude goes to law enforcement for their courageous efforts in preventing that from happening.

I had three family members on that same road during the time he was shooting. Yes i feel bad for his family because they are not to blame and yes i understand that he is someones son, and uncle but he could have very easily have killed somones dad, son, uncle, or even someones child. I'm sorry he had a mental illness but when innocent peoples lives are at stake and and someone is going on a shooting rampage the sympathy for that guy is NOT going to be very high. I am so happy nobody else was hurt and also sorry for his family that is hurting, but excuse me for not having any sympathy for him when one of my loved ones could have been killed for no reason but because some guy went on a killing spree.

I was wondring how long it would be before the deputies and the sheriffs office would get the blame. My deepest sympathy for the family of mr. deeken and to the deputies. They put it on the line everyday for little pay and no thanks. Why is it their fault why didnt the family have him committed, why, how could the deputies do anything if the family refused to.

If you were not there then you havent a clue.

I am so happy that none of the deputies got hurt.

No matter how sick this man might have been he was still a son and a brother to someone. The family does not deserve to hear the negative comments that have been posted. All they need are our prayers. I would just like to say that I am very sorry for your loss.

Did you know him personally? If not how can you make statements like that? Especially when his family is going through such a rough time with this all. They just lost a son, a brother, and an uncle. If your son just died, Would you want someone calling him nut job? I highly doubt it. I just want to say thanks for everyone that is Praying for the family. They need to be kept in our thoughts and prayers at this time. I know the family personally, and this isn't easy. If you have negative comments keep them to your selves. Obviously you wouldn't want someone talking about your family like that. You can't avoid having a mental illness.

Unless you have had a family member with extreme mental illness you will never truly realize how difficult it is for anyone espeacily their family to get them help. If anything its almost more difficult for family because then the victim feel that EVERYONE is against them. Its easy to point fingers and say law enforcement should have done something before it got to this point but its not that easy. LIke i said, unless you have experienced situations like these you will see that its not cut and dry or black and white. Mental illness is a HUGE grey area and every type of mental illness is treated differently because no one person is going to react the same. It's unfortunate what happend to this man if mental illness was the case but it by no means is an excuse when it involves harming other people. I am SO greatful and proud of a law enforcement that this was controlled in a way that no innocent person was harmed, i think they deserve a great deal of respect for that.

Deeken has been to the mental hospital many times. when he's on meds he's normal when he stops taking them he's nuts. When he used to come to Argyle Pub we all knew just to give him what he asked for and put it on his familys tab. He was always doing crazy things and the police would come and take him to the mental hospital. The problem is when in a mental hospital you will take your meds and in time your normal enough to come out into the world again. But who will make you take your meds when your out???? Thank god he didn't kill anyone. I do wish his family well. When he would come to the pub everyone who knew him would stop drinking until he left it also got very quiet. We haven't seen Deeken in such a long time most of us thought he was still in the mental hospital. It's been a good seven years since I sow him driving around with the cops fallowning him, he went through someone's fence. (This is the Deeken I knew) so if this is another crazy deeken then well crap.

GIVE IT UP FOR OUR BRAVE COUNTY DEPUTIES!!! A HUGE THANKS TO ALL THE GUYS WHO PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER YESTERDAY!!! What a miracle that Deputy Storey did not get hit by the bullet....WOW....Definitley had his gaurdian angel with him yesterday!!!

Our families have grown up together for over 50 yrs now & it's a very sad day for the entire family & close friends. Tommy needed more help than his family could have provided him. I'm just so releived that he did not take anyone else with him.

MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE DEEKEN FAMILY!!!

Everyone know that this man had mentel illness. this has been going on for years. he has pulled ppl over when they drive pass his house on a public county road and has pulled guns on them. he has been turned in several times and the osage county sheriffs office is to blame. they wouldn't do anything about it. they was to dam lazy to confront something that could have ended someones life. then when stuff gets bad they make him out to be the bad guy. this could have all been stopped years ago if osage county would have done something yrs ago and i am talking atleast 4 yrs i know that it has been going on. he cased me down the county road b4. i didn't stop i knew of the stuff that he has threated ppl with. i knew he like to pull guns on ppl. but when called into the police they wouldn't do anything about it. so his family isn't to blame. Sorry for your loss Deeken family. Society (osage county sheriffs department) let you and your family member down by not responding to this earlier.

And let it begin

“why didn't the county sheriff's office arrest him sooner based on his past mental history”.

Liberal has nothing to do with it. These officers did what they had to do. I am very liberal. Does that even matter? I don't live in the area but it sounds like there is some liberal/conservative thing going on. What does that have to do with this?

After reading all the comments, listening to people I work with, and considering Mr. Deeken's mental health history, why didn't the county sheriff's office arrest him sooner based on his past mental history.

Police involvement with mentally ill persons is grounded in two common law principles: (1) The power and responsibility of the police to protect the safety and welfare of the public, and (2) parens patriae, which dictates protection for disabled citizens such as mentally ill persons. Most mental health codes specify the parameters of police involvement with mentally ill persons and instruct police to initiate a psychiatric emergency apprehension whenever the person is either dangerous to self or others or is unable to provide for basic physical needs so as to protect him/herself from serious harm. Officers who encounter an irrational person creating a disturbance have three choices: transport that person to a mental hospital, arrest the person, or resolve the matter informally.

Even though several of you reading this have already made judgements regarding this youn man, please remember, he is somone's son. Many of you know people someone who is bipolar or psychizophrenic.

God Bless the Deeken's and their family.

I understand where you are comming from, but his family got to the point that they were afraid of him. I know for a fact that he had also threatened his family members. The law enforcement was also called multiple times about this man. There was not anything that his family could have done for him. He was already on medication, but lived on his own. I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to be the one that made him take it. He honestly had his good days but then he had his really bad days.

if he had a lot of good family then how did he get to where he got today? maybe all of us with alot of good family should learn from this family's tragity and help our loved ones before it leads to similar situations. i pray for that mans soul and his family. and i hope the law enforcement agencies get the resources and training they need to deal with situations like this before they reach the conclusion they did today. may we all find peace in these troubled times and the coming days.

THIS MAN IS HAS ALOT OF GOOD FAMILY MEMBERS. CAN'T YOU KEEP YOUR NEGATIVE STORIES TO YOURSELF OUT OF RESPECT FOR THEM!! SHOW A LITTLE HUMANITY FOR GODS SAKE!

This is the weirdest thing that I think I have encountered. This morning I was headed on my way to Jefferson City and just past Diamond R Equipment on 63 in that major curve a pickup truck and myself were passed at a high rate of speed by a white Jeep Wrangler in what I think is an extremely dangerous spot, that same jeep also attempted to pass an 18 wheeler and nearly caused a head on collision he then managed to pass the 18n wheeler with another near head on and then turned down hwy T not even stopping or yielding that I was on the phone with the highway patrol and explained to them what was going on and that I was not able to get a license plate number. I later hear that the man was from Argyle and asked someone to please check into for me and they stated that he did drive that same vehicle, I am guessing he was in hurry and that is when theis all started and I am guessing that he went and switched to the motorcycle. I am so glad and thankful that I did not lose my cool or else it is hard telling what possibly could've happen. People like this are so unpredictable and you should always think twice before you blow up and approach someone that you are not sure of. God Bless all the law enforcement officers that were involved and thank you for doing what you could to get the situation under control and keeping innocent bystanders from getting injured.

I was around this man on a regular basis, as others have said he really did have a multitude of medical problems. The main and most obvious one being paranoid schizophrenia. When he would talk to me he would tell me about the people that were outside of his house trying to get him. At one point he said he drove his bike to camp in Colorado to get away from the "voices" he mentioned that he had also had a gun with him. He never threatened me personally, but I knew he was a bit out there. The main thing that I took into consideration was to make sure I always greeted him with a smile and asked him how his day was going. He was not the kind of guy that you wanted to look at the wrong way. This is just a sad situation, not AT ALL the law enforcements fault they acted exactly as they should have. He really just needed help, but refused it.

What a nut job. Got what he deserved. Thankfully no law enforcement were injured.

This is same bike that road up next to me last Monday on Hwy. 54 and pulled a gun on me. I called 911 about it but nothing was done. If some one would have done something then this could have all been avoided.

I'd say Mark that you need to look on life in a different way!!! You are very hateful and I pray God will show you the correct path! Having grown up in Koeltztown all my life, it is a SAD day. This man had a severe mental illness and we all knew this would end badly one day. He WAS indeed out to hurt others TODAY & himself. Thankfully he only done harm to himself and no one else. He has now taken a journey to a different place where he will no longer suffer. I am very sadden for his family. We all grew up together and this is a very hard day for all of them. Please refram yourselves from making any rude comments on here regarding this man. If you don't have nothing nice to say, then don't say it!!! I'd like to thank our Osage County deputies for doing such a good job and thank god they did not get hurt!!!

I actually got to see the car from the front and the back...eye to eye!!! It was very scary...1 inch away from the head...be lucky that he is still alive...

I was born and raised in Taos for 25 yrs. The law enforcement you all get to enjoy now is a heck of a lot better than what we had when I lived there. Im sure your officers have more dignity than to be drinking beer when issuing a traffic summons!

was the motorcycle black,with a silver helmet. cause last week a motorcycle drove alongside someone i know, and pulled a gun on them, cops didnt even send anyone out, i told the person i would have run him off the road.

I'm really glad someone took the time to look into this man. It should have been done much sooner. I recall being at the gas station the other day and I personally know this man, we are very distantly related in fact. Any way I recall this man laughing histarically while he drove off on his "mini bike" and spat a loogie on my car. It was very disgusting, rude, and obviously uncalled for. He needed help alot sooner than this incident and no one realized it I guess. He does have many problems what they are I don't know but it was definitly visible he needed help. There are many stories I've also heard about this man and the weird/violent things he has done to people. I am also a student at Fatima High School where we went on lock down. It was a weird coincidence that it just happened to be the same man who we all thought it would be.

I happened to pass the chase as i was heading to westphalia. Right at the soccer fields. The chase was going fast enough to have gravel flying off the north bound shoulder. Also 911 called faima schools and they in turn went into lockdown for approx. 10 minutes.

Don't know much but thank god the officer is ok. This could of been more tragic then it already is.

If this is the individual the rumors are saying it is, he has a history of mental issues. He has made threats to people in the Koeltztown area...with a gun. He accused me of trying to run him over one evening and has threatened people in my family. I know people who have spoken with law enforcement that if something wasn't done, he would end up hurting someone or himself. I hope he is okay. I feel sorry for him because of his medical history. I don't want him running around making threats or being a threat, but I don't want to see something this tragic happen to him either.

Sheriff's deputies work hard and in Cole County, They're understaffed and spread out to boot. Glad the deputy is safe. Also glad that most of the deputies I've met in Cole County are NOT like the person who posted earlier. What a lousy, judgmental attitude to have. His "I don't know what happened, but..." pretty much summed it all up. How about reserving judgment on the entire issue until you have at least SOME information? Hope you don't do your job that way...at least do some investigation, please, even if people ARE "tree huggin' liberals."

Your comment is pretty pointless... first off you must not be from Taos because I would hardly say that it is liberal area if not just the oppisite. Second off what was your point?? Who exsactly are you trying to put down? The Taos community cares deaply about our law enforcement (which is really just an officer or two) and I think they do a great job, and you have no right to suggest we make them out to be our enemys or to blame for the crimes that do occur.

What do environmentalists have to do with this. or for that matter Liberals. You seem angry and confused.

That sounds a little bit crazy, Mark. Unfortunately, I think you're ABSOLUTELY right - to an extent -about how this will all be reported. I think you forgot that somehow race will be involved. Doesn't matter what race they actually are - somehow, someway someone is going to be a racist.

Drove by there about 25 minutes ago. Seen a Highway Patrols back glass out as well.

Gee let me help out all the tree hugging liberals out there. I don't know anything about what happened in this situation but I'm sure within a day or so it'll be all the deputies fault and the guy who fired on him was a fine upstanding citizen who was just mis-understood and probaly if the deputy involved had offered to hug him and maybe show him alittle more love everything would have been fine. Just some venting thank you.