Former Gillette Police Department corporal found dead

GILLETTE (WNE) — A former Gillette police corporal allegedly shot himself after threatening to harm Gillette police last Thursday night.

Officers received a call from a 33-year-old man a little after 10 p.m. Thursday. He was threatening to harm himself and others. 

Later, officers received a report of shots being fired. When they arrived at Thomas Prather’s address, they found him dead from what appeared to be a gunshot wound, according to previous reporting.

His identity was confirmed Monday by Campbell County Coroner Paul Wallem.

Prather worked for the Gillette Police Department from April 5, 2021 to Jan. 21, 2026, according to a document the News Record obtained from a public records request.

Before joining the Gillette Police Department, Prather worked as a detention officer for the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.

He was one of seven high-ranking officers in the department to leave the department between April 2025 and March 2026. Those officers who left the department include former police chief Chuck Deaton, a captain, two corporals (including Prather) and three sergeants.

This story was published on May 19, 2026.