Amherst County Man Indicted for Second-Degree Murder Following Madison Heights Standoff
- BTW21
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
MADISON HEIGHTS, Va. (BTW21) — A Madison Heights man who previously made headlines for firing at law enforcement officers during a standoff has now been formally indicted on a second-degree murder charge.
The suspect, Thomas Ericson, was the subject of a welfare check back in September.
According to authorities, when deputies arrived at his home in Madison Heights, Ericson had barricaded himself inside and was heavily armed.
Deputies say that Ericson began firing at them shortly after their arrival. Fortunately, no officers were injured during the exchange.
The tense standoff rattled the quiet neighborhood. Nearby residents told local media they were caught off guard by the sudden burst of violence. "We came down here and kind of took cover, but we were actually sitting on the front porch," said Walter Large, a neighbor who witnessed the incident unfold.
His son, Dakota Large, also recalled the frightening moments. "That is something I had never had to experience nor would I ever think I would have to experience.
It was definitely scary to a certain extent," he said. Dakota added that he had known Ericson personally and had even tried to check on him before police arrived. "We had been banging on his door; Daniel, our other neighbor up the street, had been banging on his door for a long time as well and he wouldn't come out. We didn't know he was armed or anything like that."
After eventually gaining entry into the home, deputies made a grim discovery: the body of 58-year-old Brian Leisenring.
Investigators believe Leisenring had been dead for some time before authorities arrived. Details from court warrants have since revealed that Ericson is now facing a second-degree murder charge in connection to Leisenring’s death.
The case continues to unfold as law enforcement works to piece together the events leading up to the deadly encounter.