Slain Cold Spring officer had previously worked in Watkins Police Dept. in Meeker County

Police officer Tom Decker, who was fatally shot in Cold Spring, had formerly worked in law enforcement in Meeker County.

Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner says Decker died at the scene after he was shot late Thursday behind an apartment in Cold Springs.

Officer Decker, 31, worked 18 months in Watkins Police Department in Meeker County, according to his biography posted on the Cold Springs Police Department's web site.

A Cold Spring native and Rocori High School graduate, Decker attended Alexandria Technical College, graduating in 2002 with an associate's degree majoring in law enforcement.

He began his law enforcement career as an officer in October 2002 in Isle, Minn., moving to Watkins in April 2003, and then in September 2004 joined the Kimball Police Department, where he also worked as a school resource officer for the Kimball School District.

In March 2006, he joined the Cold Spring and Richmond police departments.

Sanner said a 34-year-old man is being held Friday on suspicion of second-degree murder in Decker's death.

Stearns County Chief Deputy Bruce Bechtold says he believes the suspect was in the residence that the officer was called to check.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.