LAAPOA is proud to announce that the Officer Tommy Scott Memorial freeway signs were installed on the north and southbound portions of Interstate 405 near LAX on Saturday, June 24. The official dedication ceremony for the signs took place on Thursday, June 29.
The commemorative freeway signs honoring the service and sacrifice of the first LAX police officer to die in the line of duty were made possible through last year’s passage of the Officer Tommy Scott Memorial Highway Bill (SCR-39), a measure introduced by California State Senator Ben Allen in 2021 and supported by LAAPOA.
Scott, 35, was killed in the line of duty on April 29, 2005, while heroically protecting the aviation community from a man intent on crashing a vehicle into an airplane on the LAX airport runway. Scott joined the LAXPD on October 7, 2001, graduating from Rio Hondo Police Academy on February 21, 2002. Before that, he worked as an aquatic supervisor for the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation for 15 years, where he notably saved two children from drowning. At the time of his death, Scott served as a field training officer. He was fondly remembered by his colleagues as being one of the kindest officers on the force, with a contagious smile and positive energy.
Since Scott’s untimely death 18 years ago, LAAPOA has kept his memory alive through a variety of events and programs, such as the Tommy Scott Memorial 5K and 10K LAX Run, held in partnership with the Los Angeles Airport Police Athletics & Activities League, Los Angeles World Airports and the Association of Airport Employees, and the Tommy Scott Memorial Scholarship Fund, which has provided scholarships to dozens of deserving students in his memory over the years.
“We are thankful to State Senator Ben Allen for introducing legislation to help preserve the memory of our brother, Officer Tommy Scott, and to finally see the freeway signs erected,” LAAPOA President Marshall McClain says. “The signs will not only ensure that Scott’s sacrifice will never be forgotten, but also serve as a reminder to all that the men and women who wear the badge honorably put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve our communities.”