Chicago Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, May 20, 2010
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 3 years, 7 months
Badge Number: 6181
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 19, 2010
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Police Officer Thomas Wortham was shot and killed after identifying himself as a police officer when four subjects attempted to rob him while he was off duty at 11:25 pm.
Officer Wortham was visiting his parents' home to show them pictures from the previous week's Police Week activities that he attended in Washington, DC. As he was leaving, four men approached and attempted to rob him of his motorcycle near the intersection of East 85th Street and South Martin Luther King Drive. Officer Wortham drew his service weapon and fired at the suspects, but was fatally shot in the abdomen. He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
His father, a retired Chicago police sergeant, witnessed the shooting and exchanged shots with the suspects. One was killed, another was seriously wounded while the two remaining males fled in a vehicle. All three suspects have been charged with first-degree murder. In November 2014 the two uninjured subjects were both convicted of Officer Wortham's murder.
Officer Wortham had served with the Chicago Police Department for nearly three years and was assigned to the Englewood District. He had previously served with the Evergreen Park Police Department for eight months and had recently returned from his second tour of duty in Iraq while serving with the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Officer Wortham was survived by his sister and parents.