DENVER COP'S HOME RAIDED

Sergeant Allegedly Acquired Steroids

Wednesday, January 01, 2003 - A veteran Denver police sergeant and former
SWAT officer is under suspicion in Arapahoe County for allegedly possessing
steroids, officials said Tuesday. The Denver Police Department placed
Thomas Lahey, 36, on paid leave after he received a package of what police
believe is testosterone at his Arapahoe County home on Thursday.
Investigators from the South Metro Drug Task Force then raided Lahey's
home, seizing additional suspected steroids, 97 syringes, a steroid-use
schedule, 15 guns and two computers, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson
Robinson said.

A 14-year department veteran, Lahey was not detained. Authorities are still
trying determine whether the drugs in the package and in his home were
indeed steroids, Robinson said.

Under Colorado law, steroids are considered a controlled substance, and
possessing them is a felony punishable by up to six years in prison,
Robinson said.

The investigation into Lahey began Dec. 23, when U.S. Customs investigators
doing a random check found the suspected testosterone in a package
addressed to Lahey from Great Britain.

On Thursday, with Denver internal affairs detectives watching,
investigators posing as mail carriers delivered the package to Lahey,
Robinson said.

Moments later, the South Metro officers conducted the raid.

Robinson said authorities do not believe Lahey had plans to distribute the
steroids, which he said are consistent with what body builders might use.

"As far as I know, he's a weightlifter," Robinson said.

Denver police officials declined to comment on the case Tuesday except to
say Lahey is on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Lahey could not be reached for comment.

The sergeant has most recently been assigned to Denver International Airport.

He was at one time a SWAT officer.

In 1998, he and fellow SWAT officer Ken Padgett fatally shot a 17-year-old
boy after the boy twice pointed a gun at them, ignored demands to drop his
weapon and fought with police dogs.

The Denver district attorney's office cleared the officers of wrongdoing in
the case.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation records show that Lahey was arrested in
December 1990 for domestic-violence-related assault and disturbing the peace.

He was acquitted of the charges.

Details of the case were not available.

Robinson said that he expects to present the current case against Lahey to
the Arapahoe County district attorney in the next couple of weeks, after
the CBI laboratory finishes identifying the substances.