Baltimore prosecutors recently announced the arrest of Dion Thompson, a man accused of killing off-duty Washington, D.C., police sergeant Tony Anthony Mason Jr. in 2017. Thompson, who was 18 at the time, allegedly shot Mason to death while he was sitting in a parked car with a woman he was dating. The case remained unsolved for five years until a tip was received in early 2023, leading authorities to Thompson. Thompson, now 24, is currently serving time in a federal prison on unrelated drug and gun charges.
The charging documents against Thompson do not provide a clear motive for the shooting and are based on the account of someone who knew Thompson but did not witness the crime. The witness claimed that Thompson admitted to shooting at the parked car because he felt paranoid about the occupants, assuming they were either there to rob him or retaliate against him for previous robberies he had committed. Thompson reportedly learned later from the news that the victim was a police officer and drove to Philadelphia to get rid of the vehicle he used the night of the shooting.
Two other individuals were mentioned in the charging documents as being allegedly involved in the shooting, but one of them passed away in a car crash. No one else has been charged in connection to the case at this time. Mason, a 40-year-old veteran of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, was unarmed and not wearing anything to identify himself as a law enforcement officer during the attack. Background checks on both Mason and his companion revealed no criminal or gang activity.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith expressed relief that the person responsible for Mason’s death is being brought to justice. She acknowledged that the details surrounding Mason’s tragic death had remained a painful mystery for far too long. Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates stated that this case will be the first prosecution brought by his office’s new cold case unit. The case is seen as a breakthrough in the previously unsolved homicide, bringing some closure to Mason’s family and colleagues.
Thompson’s attorney representing him in the drug and gun charges did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the recent arrest. The arrest and charges against Thompson were based on the reinvigorated investigation following the tip received in early 2023. Reports indicate that Thompson was driven by paranoia during the shooting, leading to the tragic death of Mason and injuries to the woman he was with. Thompson’s actions that night will now be subject to legal proceedings as the case progresses through the court system.
