Once A Cop, Always A Cop

UPDATE: Thomas said today he was on his way to a meeting last night when he saw people fighting in the middle of Reading Road. He saw the man with a handgun. The man had started to drive off when Thomas flagged down Fangman, who drove after the man.

Thomas followed Fangman, who got out of his cruiser with his gun drawn. The man got out with his gun, but quickly dropped it and was arrested. Fangman realized when he saw the gun close up that it was a BB gun, one made to look like a real gun, Thomas said.

The whole thing apparently started when a young man got involved in a fight with the arrested man's daughter and wife.

Thomas, who retired in 2000 after being a police officer 27 years, said all his old training came right back to him - "just like riding a bike."

Councilman Cecil Thomas, a retired Cincinnati Police officer, helped police make an arrest Monday night in Avondale. He saw a man holding a gun and flagged down an officer.

The man holding the gun was Phillip Randle, 56, of Avondale. His gun was a BB gun.

The officer was Keith Fangman, former president of the Cincinnati chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Check out the story here.