A College Park roadway has been dedicated in honor of a Prince George’s County police officer who was killed this year while on duty. Officer 1st Class Thomas P. Jensen died in March from injuries he suffered in a car crash while responding to an emergency call. County officials dedicated the 9000 block of Baltimore Avenue, near the crash site, to Jensen last week.
The street sign with his name recognizes “the dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice that Tommy Jensen made,” Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said in a statement.
Jensen had been an officer for five-and-a-half years. He was posthumously promoted to corporal.
On Feb. 27, Jensen was driving near the intersection of Baltimore Avenue and Greenbelt Road in College Park when he hit a patch of black ice, and his cruiser crashed into a telephone pole. Police said he had been responding to a call from the fire department, which needed help with a disorderly person authorities believed was on PCP.
Jensen is the second Prince George’s County officer to have a stretch of roadway dedicated to him in recent months.
In August, officials named a section of Laurel-Bowie Road in honor of Sgt. Richard Findley, who was struck and killed by a stolen vehicle in 2008.
So far this year, 154 police officers have been killed in the line of duty, according to data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. One officer in the District, five in Maryland and four in Virginia have been killed while working.
D.C. Officer Paul Dittamo was killed in a car accident while responding to a call in October.
In Maryland, Officer Hector Ayala of the Montgomery County police was killed in a car crash while responding to a fight in Wheaton in April, and Maryland State Police Trooper 1st Class Wesley Brown was gunned down while working an off-duty security detail at a Forestville Applebee’s restaurant. Two Baltimore officers also were killed on duty.
Virginia deputy sheriffs were killed in Richmond, Spotsylvania County and Tazewell County, and a state trooper drowned during a training exercise.
