In a tragic turn of events on a Monday afternoon, Thomas “Tom” White, a 44-year-old male Hamilton Police Officer, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on June 19, 2017. The incident, which occurred while he was off-duty, concluded after his personal vehicle crashed into a commercial van on Nottingham Way in Hamilton, a suburb of Trenton.
Initially reported as a motor vehicle accident, the true nature of the event was revealed following an investigation by the Mercer County
Prosecutor's Office. First responders arriving at the scene found White unconscious and unresponsive inside his truck with a gunshot wound. An autopsy later confirmed that the gunshot was self-inflicted, leading the Middlesex County Medical Examiner's Office to rule his death a suicide. The driver of the van he collided with was not injured in the crash.
Known affectionately as 'Officer Friendly,' White was a much-loved figure in the community, particularly among the youth he worked with. He had been a member of the Hamilton Police Division since 2009 and was assigned to the educational services unit as a Law Enforcement Against Drugs officer at Reynolds Middle School. In his role, he was responsible for teaching bicycle safety and the L.E.A.D. program. White was also lauded as a hero for his actions in 2011, when he and another officer rescued two people from a house fire. His death was a shock to the community and his colleagues, who remembered him as a fine and well-liked officer.
