Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable Thomas Jahelka was struck and killed by a drunk driver while making a traffic stop on Mount Parnassus Road, between Route 82 and Smith Road, at about 1:10 am. He was speaking to the driver of the vehicle he had stopped when the drunk driver struck him and the other car. The driver of the car he had stopped fled the scene after the crash, however, the driver who struck him remained at the scene and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The charges were later upgraded to misconduct with a motor vehicle. The man was convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to six months in jail. Constable Jahelka had served as a part-time officer for the East Haddam Police Department for 15 years and had previously been a military policeman in the U.S. Army. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. The section of Mount Parnassus Road that he was struck on was renamed the Constable Thomas D. Jahelka Memorial Highway in November 2011.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CT-B80F1D66- 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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Constable Jahelka gave the East Haddam Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Moodus community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Thomas Dean Jahelka served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Constable Thomas Dean Jahelka is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In CT, 74 of 169 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 43.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.4 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas Dean Jahelka's cause is highlighted.
How Thomas Dean Jahelka Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 6 months
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Dean Jahelka is highlighted in Apr.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Thomas Dean Jahelka was killed by automobile; alcohol involved.