On November 5th, the Los Angeles Police Department lost one of its own, and a young family lost their whole world. Officer Thomas Denton died in the line of duty during a training exercise.

Tom spent 20 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, serving since 2006 and most recently with the elite Metropolitan Division. But anyone who knew him knew his heart belonged to the LAPD Dive Team. Diving wasn’t just an assignment for him. It was a calling. It meant going into dark, cold, uncertain water so that others could find answers and closure. That same discipline shaped his whole life. Tom was dedicated to his health, training and always pushing himself to be stronger, sharper and better than the day before. He wanted to be ready whenever someone needed him most, and he gave that commitment everything he had until the very end.

But before he was an officer, a diver or a hero to anyone else, Tom was a husband and a dad. He leaves behind his wife, Brigitte, and their two young children, a daughter (17 months) and a son (4 yrs). They will grow up hearing stories about the man who loved them fiercely, who protected his city and who gave everything he had to everything he did.

No amount of money can fill the space Tom leaves behind. Every gift will go directly to the family to help cover everyday living expenses, and the children’s future as they grow up without their father.

If you knew Tom, served alongside him, or are simply moved by his story, please consider giving what you can. If you can’t give, please share this page. Every share helps carry his family through the hardest days of their lives.

Tom spent his life showing up for others. Now let’s show up for him and for the people he loved most.

Rest easy, Officer Denton. We’ll take it from here.