Taken too Soon: P.O Katie Thyne

Officer Katie Thyne
Article & Artwork by Jonny Castro

“If you ever saw Officer Katie Thyne, you saw her with a smile ...a ll she did was smile. That smile was the love of life, family and service to a community and the city she called home.”

Katherine Thyne loved the job. She was a dedicated and active officer who was deeply involved with the community. On Jan. 23, Officer Thyne was conducting a traffic stop when the driver was asked to step out of the vehicle. The suspect refused and instead fled the scene, trapping the officer between the open car door. She was dragged for a block before the suspect crashed into a tree. Officer Thyne was pinned between the car and the tree and suffered fatal injuries. She passed away at the hospital later that evening.

Officer Thyne had served the Newport News Police Department’s South Precinct for just seven months and had made a huge impact in the short time she was assigned there. Prior to her time in law enforcement, Officer Thyne served five years active duty in the United States Navy as a Logistics Specialist 3rd Class at the Naval Station Norfolk and aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. Officer Thyne leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter. She was 24 years old.