Police Officer Thomas Mitchell Bray, Sr., Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania

Police Officer Thomas Mitchell Bray, Sr.

Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania

End of Watch Tuesday, November 13, 2001

Thomas Mitchell Bray, Sr.

Officer Thomas Bray, a member of the police department's marine unit, drowned while attempting to recover a sunken channel marker in the Delaware River.

He and two other marine unit officers were working with the U.S. Coast Guard in an attempt to recover the buoy. Several minutes into the dive, Officer Bray radioed that he was tangled and he was instructed to cut the line. However, he did not surface. Other officers were able to bring him to the surface and transport him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Officer Bray had been employed with the Philadelphia Police Department for 23 years, and is survived by his wife and three grown children.

Bio

Age 52
Tour 23 years
Badge 1302

Incident Details

Cause Drowned

Most Recent Reflection

View all 43 Reflections

Tom Bray was the most honest, kind, and dedicated cop in the Philly PD. He died under mysterious, suspicious circumstances the day after he testified against another cop who was ultimately fired for the alleged wrongdoing that Tom had testified about. Tom's mother and estate sued for wrongful death and received a hefty settlement. Why is anyone still calling Tom's death an accident? Every good cop familiar with the situation knows otherwise. Best wishes to Tom's relatives.

Lt. Bob
friend

January 22, 2017