William Henry Torbit, Jr.

Baltimore Police Dept. — Baltimore, MD

Accident

End of Watch January 9, 2011

Age 33

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 159 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 150

Incident

Police Officer William Torbit was accidentally shot and killed by uniformed police officers after responding to a fight at a nightclub on North Paca Street at approximately 1:15 am.

Officer Torbit, who was in plainclothes, was one of the first officers to arrive to a call of a large fight at a nightclub. When he arrived, he began breaking up a fight between several females. As he broke up the fight he was attacked by a group of men.

At some point during the struggle with the males, Officer Torbit drew his service weapon. Responding officers, not realizing Officer Torbit was a police officer, shot and killed him. A second officer was shot and wounded in the foot during the melee.

Officer Torbit had served with the Baltimore City Police Department for eight years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-23677950
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Torbit gave the Baltimore City Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Torbit.

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

Agency

Department Baltimore Police Dept.

Location Baltimore, MD

Platform Identity baltpd.baltimore.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 9, 2011

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Police Officer William Henry Torbit, Jr. is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MD, 140 of 377 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.1% of this state's fallen. That is 6.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Baltimore Police Dept., 52 of 151 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 34.4% of this agency's fallen.

Baltimore Police Dept.

of 151 officers

34.4% Accident

MD — Statewide

140

of 377 officers

37.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident