Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman William Lewis died as a result of complications from influenza during an outbreak at headquarters while performing his assigned duties during the Influenza Pandemic.
Patrolman Lewis was a United States Navy veteran and served with the New York City Police Department for three years, assigned to Special Squad 2 in Brooklyn.
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Patrolman William W. Lewis died on October 4, 1918 of influenza contracted in the line of duty. He was 30.
He is one of 201 officers honored here, and one of 42 at New York City Police Department.
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 Lewis was survived by his wife, a child, his mother, and a sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-D3822B3A- 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 Lewis gave the New York City Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Lewis.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
William W. Lewis served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Patrolman William W. Lewis 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 NY, 629 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 29.3% of this state's fallen. That is 20.2 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
At New York City Police Department, 521 of 1237 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 42.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William W. Lewis's cause is highlighted.
How William W. Lewis Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. William W. Lewis is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1,236 officers from New York City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
