Former Rockford police officer Eric Thurmond dies at 29

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Former Rockford police officer Eric Thurmond, who for years was one of the department’s most recognizable faces for his work with youth, has died at age 29.

Thurmond was living in Nashville, Tennessee. The Davidson County coroner confirmed his death, WTVO first reported. The cause of his death has not been confirmed by the coroner, but a friend said he suffered a head injury after a fall.

Thurmond’s career here ended after he was charged with criminal sexual assault in October 2019. He was accused of raping a 26-year-old woman while off duty. A year later that charge was dropped in exchange for a guilty plea to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges. As part of the plea he was forced to resign.

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The charges sent waves through the community because Thurmond had largely been known for his work as a community officer and through viral videos of him as the “dancing cop.” Friends had urged the public to reserve judgement after the charges came down and wait for him to have his day in court. Others said his good deeds in the community didn’t equate to innocence.

Danial Petrie befriended Thurmond about seven years ago through Petrie’s work with the Fatherhood Encouragement Project. Petrie said Thurmond often talked about his hopes to be a dad, a husband and the best police officer he could be.

“He was one of the most genuine, selfless, caring, kind-hearted individuals I’ve ever had the opportunity to meet in my life,” Petrie said. “He really wanted to make a difference in kids’ lives and be a positive influence and help people.”

As part of his September 2021 plea deal, Thurmond had to perform 50 hours of community service and he was prohibited from working in law enforcement in Illinois for one year. He was also fined $439.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas