Crime & Safety
LAPD Officer Killed During Exercise Identified
An LAPD officer, reportedly a member of the department's dive team, died in an on-duty training exercise Thursday.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles Police Department officer who was killed during an on-duty training exercise was identified Friday.
Officer Thomas Denton, who served in the Metropolitan Division, was killed around 11 a.m. Thursday while participating in an on-duty training exercise.
No details were released about the nature of the training or where the exercise was held, although several reports indicated it was in Huntington Beach. Denton was reportedly a member of the LAPD's Dive Team.
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Denton was taken to Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, where he was pronounced dead. Video from the hospital showed a large number of law enforcement officers outside the facility.
A law-enforcement procession escorting Denton's body departed the hospital late Thursday afternoon en route to the coroner's office in Santa Ana.
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Denton, a 20-year department veteran, is survived by his wife and two children, according to the governor's office.
"Today, we honor Officer Denton's lasting legacy to the people of Los Angeles," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "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."
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