Thursday, May 20, 2010

Off-Duty Officer Killed: Three year CPD vet just finished his second Army tour in Iraq

An off-duty Chicago Police officer, who had just returned from an army tour in Iraq, was shot and killed overnight when three people tried to steal his motorcycle in Chatham neighborhood.

Thomas Wortham IV, a 3-year veteran of the force, was on his motorcycle at approximately 11:25 p.m. Wednesday in the 8400 block of South King Drive when several individuals approached him in an apparent robbery attempt, said Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis.

"Gunfire was exchanged and sadly this 3-year veteran of the department was killed," Weis said at a press conference outside Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Sources said Wortham was leaving his parent's house in near 85th Street and King Drive. He was there to show them pictures from a Washington D.C. memorial he attended days earlier, honoring police officers killed in the line of duty.

His father, a retired police sergeant tried to defend his son. He came out of the house as the three men exited a Nissan and tried to steal the motorcycle. The father shot and killed one of the robbery suspects. A second suspect was wounded and a third got away.

Cook County medical examiners identified the dead suspect as Brian Floyd, 20, of the 3700 block of South Wentworth Avenue. The wounded man is receiving medical attention, but hasn't been named.

Wortham worked at the Englewood District and was active at the Nat King Cole park across the street from where he was slain. He served on the park's advisory council.



Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Off-Duty-Chicago-Police-Officer-Killed-94411984.html?__source=newsletter&optinfo=0008CCC63C030E014B74DDCD8EF05CA0#ixzz0oUiSnxyN

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