lit a candle 3h agoHe was only in his forties probably, dedicated almost twenty years to that department. Thinking of his family tonight.
Their story
Thomas Denton was a Los Angeles Police Department officer who served for twenty years and held the rank of Police Officer III in the department's Metropolitan Division, its elite tactical support unit. He died on Thursday 5 November 2026 after an incident during an on-duty dive team training exercise in…
Thomas Denton was a Los Angeles Police Department officer who served for twenty years and held the rank of Police Officer III in the department's Metropolitan Division, its elite tactical support unit. He died on Thursday 5 November 2026 after an incident during an on-duty dive team training exercise in Huntington Beach, California. He was 46.
Denton joined the LAPD in 2006. In the Metropolitan Division he was part of a unit that provides specialised tactical support across the city, and he was training with the dive team on the day he died. The department said he "dedicated his life to serving others and embodied the values of courage, commitment, and sacrifice."
The incident happened at about 11 a.m. in Huntington Beach. Denton was rushed to Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, where he died. Radio traffic reported by the Los Angeles Times suggested the training may have taken place in a pool. Authorities did not release details of what happened, and his death remained under investigation.
That evening fellow officers, firefighters, relatives and friends lined the streets as a procession carried his body from the hospital to the Orange County Coroner's Office in Santa Ana. Governor Gavin Newsom ordered flags at the State Capitol and the Capitol Annex Swing Space to fly at half-staff. "Today, we honor Officer Denton's lasting legacy to the people of Los Angeles," he said. "Jennifer and I deeply mourn his loss and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues. May he be remembered for his dedication and honorable service."
According to the Governor's Office, Denton was survived by his wife and two children. A date for a memorial service had not been announced in the first reports.
The full statement from the LAPD read: "The Los Angeles Police Department mourns the loss of Police Officer-III Thomas Denton of Metropolitan Division, who passed away yesterday during an on-duty training exercise. Officer Denton dedicated his life to serving others and embodied the values of courage, commitment, and sacrifice. We honor his memory and extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fellow officers." His death was reported by the Los Angeles Times, ABC7, FOX 11 and CBS Los Angeles, and law enforcement organisations across Southern California offered condolences.
Biography adapted from LAPD statement; Los Angeles Times; ABC7 Los Angeles (Leanne Suter); FOX 11 Los Angeles; CBS Los Angeles; Office of Governor Gavin Newsom (6 November 2026).
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1by People Forever
Heard he started back in 2006, that's a long run in Metro.