Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Tommy Portz was killed in an automobile crash when his patrol car struck the back of a firetruck that stopped on Route 40 near Calhoun Street.
The firetruck had responded to reports of an injured person lying in the highway median strip and had stopped in the left lane to ask a film crew if they had seen the subject.
Officer Portz's patrol car collided with the back of the stopped truck at a high rate of speed, causing him to suffer fatal injuries.
Officer Portz had served with the Baltimore Police Department for just under 10 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MD-DF86945B- 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 Portz gave the Baltimore City Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Portz.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Thomas Russell Portz, 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas Russell Portz, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Thomas Russell Portz, Jr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Russell Portz, Jr. is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
150 officers from Baltimore Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
