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Police Officer

William Dewitt Talbert

Montgomery County Police Department — Gaithersburg, MD

Veteran → Illness

End of Watch January 27, 2012

Age 64

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

The Vigil Panel 161 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 20

Incident

Police Officer Bill Talbert died as the result of contracting Hepatitis C.

He contracted the disease following a blood transfusion after being struck by a drunk driver while conducting a traffic stop on June 30th, 1983. He was standing between his patrol car and another vehicle when a drunk driver struck one of the vehicles, causing Officer Talbert to be pinned between them. He was transported to a local hospital where he underwent a blood transfusion. It was discovered later that the blood he received was infected with Hepatitis C.

He was forced to medically retire in 1984 and his health continued to deteriorate until he passed away on January 27th, 2012.

Officer Talbert was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Montgomery County Police Department for 13 years when he was forced to retire. He is survived by his wife, daughter, three sons, ten grandchildren, and sister. One of his sons went on to serve with the Maryland State Police.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, daughter, three sons, ten grandchildren, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-DBD52F97
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 salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. William is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Talbert gave the Montgomery County Police Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Gaithersburg community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Montgomery County Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, MD

Platform Identity mcpd.montgomery.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 27, 2012

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

Age 64

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Cause Detail Duty related illness

Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Military Service

William Dewitt Talbert served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer William Dewitt Talbert is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In MD, 15 of 377 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Montgomery County Police Department, 1 of 21 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.8% of this agency's fallen.

Montgomery County Police Department

of 21 officers

4.8% Illness

MD — Statewide

of 377 officers

4% Illness

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Illness