Thomas Joseph Burns

Baltimore Police Dept. — Baltimore, MD

Accident Veteran

End of Watch October 1, 1948

Age 24

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Badge 1559

The Vigil Panel 85 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 150

Incident

Police Officer Thomas Burns was killed in a motorcycle crash when his motorcycle was struck by a vehicle turning in front of him on Erdman Avenue from North Pointe Road.

The other driver was charged with a failure to grant a right-of-way charge.

Officer Burns was a United States Army World War II veteran and had served with the Baltimore City Police Department for one year.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-15988948
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.
Police Officer Burns gave the Baltimore City Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— 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 October 1, 1948

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Age 24

Badge Number 1559

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Thomas Joseph Burns served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Thomas Joseph Burns 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