Dallas Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: Saturday, July 20, 1985
Age: 37
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number: 4641
Cause of Death: Vehicle pursuit
Date of Incident: July 11, 1985
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Officer Thomas Harris succumbed to injuries sustained nine days earlier while chasing a stolen vehicle on Julius Schepps Freeway near Simpson Stuart Road.
He had attempted to stop the vehicle, which immediately fled. As he tried to pass a truck, his patrol car flipped over, and he suffered massive internal injuries. The suspect was sentenced to life as a habitual offender but was not charged with Officer Harris' death.
Officer Harris was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam war and had served with the Dallas Police Department for three years. He was survived by his wife and two children.