William Henry Torbit Jr.

Baltimore Police Department — 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: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 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 Department

Type Other

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 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 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 37.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

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

Baltimore Police Department

of 151 officers

34.4% Accident

MD — Statewide

140

of 377 officers

37.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Accident