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Sally A. Thompson
Agency patch
Detective

Sally A. Thompson

New York City Police Department — New York, NY
September 11, 2001 → Illness
United States flag New York flag
End of Watch May 2, 2018
Age 58
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Badge 1872
The Vigil Panel 374 · Column 3 · Line 15 ›
Gender Female
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 1,221

Incident

Sally A. Thompson was appointed to the New York City Police Department on 3 January 1983 and began her career on patrol in the 44th Precinct. She later served in the Organized Crime Control Bureau, the Narcotics Division and Bronx Narcotics. She was promoted to detective on 31 August 1990 and earned second grade on 24 June 1999. During her 20-year career she made 352 arrests, was recognized four times for Excellent Police Duty and received a Commendation. She retired from the 47th Detective Squad on 10 January 2003.

Detective Thompson died on 2 May 2018 of illnesses she contracted during the rescue and recovery after the World Trade Center attack of 11 September 2001. She was married to Detective Kenneth C. Thompson, who retired from the 44th Detective Squad in July 2001, and they had two children. Her name was added to the NYPD memorial wall at Battery Park City on 11 October 2019.

September 11, 2001 - The Years After

Detective Sally A. Thompson was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. She was 42 years old that fall.

She died on May 2, 2018 - 16 years and 7 months later - of an illness contracted there. She was 58.

She is one of 600 officers honored here, and one of 451 at New York City Police Department.

The most recent of these deaths was October 24, 2025.

Officers who worked the search, rescue, and recovery at the World Trade Center site breathed contaminated air for weeks and months afterward. Many developed cancers and respiratory disease, and they have gone on dying of it ever since.

Seventy-two officers were killed on the morning itself. Hundreds more have died in the years that followed. They are honored here together, because the same attack killed them all. With some it simply took longer.

Survivors

She is survived by her husband.

In Our Keeping

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

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at requiem.nw. One record, 2 gates. Sally is one person.

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Tributes

You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Detective Thompson gave the New York City Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Thompson.

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

Agency

Department New York City Police Department
Type Police Department
Location New York, NY
Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 2, 2018
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Age 58
Badge Number 1872
Gender Female
Assignment 47 Squad

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail 9/11 related illness
Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

The Sacrifice · Illness

Sally 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.

  3. See the roll
  4. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2018, 56 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 6th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Sally was 58. 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. Sally had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

Age at death
Where she stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 6.2% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Wednesdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause. The weapon recorded was aircraft; passenger jet, in 29.5% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

Her people

New York City Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Sally among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Detective Sally A. Thompson

New York City Police Department · End of Watch May 2, 2018

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 52-W

Also Remembered

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial — requiem.nw →

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