Michael J. Mooney

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL

Illness

End of Watch February 8, 1920

Age 47

Tour of Duty 13 yrs 7 mo

The Vigil Panel 86 · Column 4 · Line 18 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 570

Incident

Detective Sergeant Michael Mooney died as a result of complications from influenza while performing his assigned duties during the Influenza Pandemic.

The second wave of influenza in Chicago was first reported at the Great North Lakes Naval Training Station in North Chicago in September 1918. By mid-September, cases had increased significantly, indicating widespread infection in Chicago. Within the next two months, the virus killed 8,500 people in the Chicago area. The Chicago Police Department was tasked with enforcing health regulations implemented to prevent the spread of influenza and with performing its regular police duties.

Detective Sergeant Mooney served with the Chicago Police Department for more than 13 years and was assigned to the 8th Police Precinct.

Effects of the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic on Law Enforcement

Also known as "Spanish Flu" or "LaGrippe," the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to early 1919 infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed approximately 675,000 Americans. The effect of the influenza epidemic in the United States was so dire that the average life span in the U.S. fell by twelve years. The four waves of the flu began in March 1918 and ended in April 1919. Many officers contracted this virus due to the requirements of their job.

The names of every officer who died in the line of duty from the Influenza Pandemic will likely never be known. Still, ODMP researchers continue to uncover new cases as part of our mission never to forget the fallen.

Please click here to view ODMP's Influenza Memorial, listing all known fallen officers from the pandemic.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Sergeant Mooney gave the Chicago Police Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Sergeant Mooney.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Chicago Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Chicago, Cook County, IL

Platform Identity cpd.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 8, 1920

Tour of Duty 13 yrs 7 mo

Age 47

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

The Sacrifice · Illness

Michael is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1920, 20 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 16th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Michael was 47. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Michael had served 13.6 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.