Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman John Blackwell died as a result of complications from influenza while performing his assigned duties during the Influenza Pandemic.
Patrolman Blackwell was on duty when he became ill and was taken to his home at 135 East Fifth Street, where he died due to complications of influenza a week later.
The Newport City Police Department had been tasked with enforcing local health laws to help prevent the spread of influenza, as well as performing their regular police duties.
Patrolman Blackwell was survived by his wife.
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Patrolman John Henry Blackwell died on December 6, 1918 of influenza contracted in the line of duty. He was 43.
He is one of 201 officers honored here.
The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed more people worldwide than the war that preceded it. Police officers worked it without vaccines, without antibiotics, and often without masks, enforcing quarantines, transporting the sick, and standing posts in cities where the dead outpaced the undertakers.
They caught it doing the job. There was no treatment to give them.
Survivors
Patrolman Blackwell was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-FD4936B2- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
No vaccine, no antibiotics, and you stood the post anyway.
Patrolman Blackwell served with the Newport Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Newport community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Blackwell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman John Henry Blackwell is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In KY, 21 of 983 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.1% of this state's fallen. That is 7 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Newport Police Department, 1 of 8 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 12.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Henry Blackwell's cause is highlighted.
How John Henry Blackwell Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. John Henry Blackwell is highlighted in Dec.
Others Who Wore This Badge
7 officers from Newport Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
