Michael E. O'Neil
Agency patch
Inspector

Michael E. O'Neil

End of Watch October 28, 2020
Age 52
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Inspector Michael O'Neil died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

Inspector O'Neil had served 22 years with the New York City Police Department and was the 1st Commanding Officer of the Counterterrorism Unit.

September 11, 2001 - The Years After

Inspector Michael E. O'Neil was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 33 years old that fall.

He died on October 28, 2020 - 19 years and 1 month later - of an illness contracted there. He was 52.

He 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

He is survived by his wife and child.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
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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. Michael is one person.

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Tributes

You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Inspector O'Neil gave the New York City Police Department 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Inspector O'Neil.

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

Agency

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

Service Record

End of Watch October 28, 2020
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Age 52
Gender Male

Incident Details

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

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.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2020, 346 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 2nd heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Michael was 52. 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 22 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

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

When

October holds 14.9% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. 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

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Inspector Michael E. O'Neil

New York City Police Department · End of Watch October 28, 2020

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 44-W

Also Remembered

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial — requiem.nw →

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