Baltimore City Police Department, Maryland
End of Watch: Saturday, November 23, 2002
Age: 37
Tour of Duty: 12 years
Badge Number: 397
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 23, 2002
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Detective Thomas Newman was shot and killed by three suspects in retaliation for his testimony in a case in which he was shot and wounded the previous year.
Detective Newman was off duty and leaving a bar in the 1000 block of Dundaulk Avenue with his girlfriend at 1:50 am when two men approached him and began shooting without saying a word. They continued shooting him even after he fell to the ground. The men fled but were arrested later in the day. Detective Newman was struck a total of five times with .32 caliber and 9 mm rounds. A nearby security guard grabbed Detective Newman's gun and chased the suspects in a vehicle while exchanging shots with them.
The suspects were friends and relatives of a man who shot and almost killed Detective Newman the previous year. In that incident, Detective Newman was off duty at a convenience store when a group of men began taunting him and threatening him. He identified himself as an officer and that he was armed, but the men continued to threaten him. When the suspects left, Detective Newman called 911 and asked for backup while following them.
The suspects pulled into a parking lot and slipped out of their vehicle unseen. While Detective Newman was talking with the dispatcher they snuck up behind his car and opened fire on him. The suspects in that shooting were sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The suspects who murdered Detective Newman were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Detective Newman had been employed with the Baltimore City Police Department for 12 years. He is survived by his 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.