Thomas Grady Burchfield
Agency patch
Police Officer

Thomas Grady Burchfield

Dallas Police Department — Dallas, TX
Accident
End of Watch May 6, 1990
Age 22
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Badge 6001
The Vigil Panel 135 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Thomas Burchfield and Police Officer Michael Okelberry were killed when their patrol car was struck head-on by a pickup truck traveling in the wrong direction in the 800 block of Woodall Rogers Freeway.

Officer Burchfield had served with the Dallas Police Department for one year.

Survivors

He is survived by his fiancée, parents, two brothers, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtpcyp3ag3wqjhn5tzdrb
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Thomas. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

You barely got started.
Police Officer Burchfield gave the Dallas Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Burchfield.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Dallas, Collin County, TX
Platform Identity dpd.dallas.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 6, 1990
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Age 22
Badge Number 6001
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Thomas is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1990, 66 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 64th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Thomas was 22. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Thomas had served 1 year; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8.6% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Sundays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Dallas Police Department has 95 officers remembered here, Thomas among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Thomas Grady Burchfield

Dallas Police Department · End of Watch May 6, 1990

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 61-W

↑