Wah Choon Lee

Honolulu Police Department — Honolulu, HI

Accident

End of Watch August 3, 1937

Age 25

Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 73 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 50

Incident

Officer Wah Lee was electrocuted when he grabbed a doorknob in a Wahiawa brothel during a raid in Wahiawa. The owner of the brothel had been raided several times before and had rigged the doorknob to prevent officers from entering. The owner was charged with manslaughter as a result of Officer Lee's death. Officer Lee had served with the Honolulu Police Department for 2-1/2 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his father, sister, and four brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-HI-69609732
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Lee gave the Honolulu Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Honolulu community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Lee.

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

Agency

Department Honolulu Police Department

Location Honolulu, HI

Platform Identity hpd.honolulu.hi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 3, 1937

Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo

Age 25

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Weapon Unknown weapon

Offender Charged with manslaughter

Officer Wah Choon Lee is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In HI, 28 of 64 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 43.8% of this state's fallen. That is 12.8 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Honolulu Police Department, 28 of 51 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 54.9% of this agency's fallen.

Honolulu Police Department

of 51 officers

54.9% Accident

HI — Statewide

of 64 officers

43.8% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident