Original Article DPS officer accused of giving drugs Judi Villa The Arizona Republic Sept. 25, 2004 12:00 AM MESA - A state Department of Public Safety officer has been arrested and accused of giving about two grams of cocaine to a friend. Michael D. Thompson, 31, of Mesa, has been an officer since 1999 and is expected to be fired within days, DPS Officer Steve Volden said. "We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to activities like this," Volden said. Thompson was arrested and booked into Maricopa County's Madison Street Jail on Thursday after police watched him deliver the cocaine, valued at about $200, according to Superior Court records. Volden said there is no evidence that Thompson had gone into the agency's property and evidence storage areas or received drugs from those areas. However, DPS officers still are investigating whether Thompson purchased the cocaine or came across it some other way while on duty. Thompson was a patrol officer in the metro Phoenix area. It's possible Thompson also might have been involved with giving his friend methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription drugs. "There aren't any indications he was using" any of the drugs himself, Volden said. DPS began investigating Thompson about two months ago after someone alleged that an off-duty officer was supplying illegal drugs to an acquaintance. Volden said it's possible Thompson had been transferring drugs for a year to 18 months. He was booked on one count of transporting and/or selling narcotic drugs, court papers say. Bail was set at $10,000.