William Thompson
Agency patch
Captain

William Thompson

Illness
End of Watch September 11, 2001
Age 51
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
The Vigil Panel 149 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Captain William Thompson was killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while attempting to rescue the victims trapped in the World Trade Center.

He had been employed with the New York State Office of Court Administration for 27 years, and was an instructor at the Court Officers Academy.

September 11, 2001

Captain William Thompson was killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was 51 years old.

He is one of 72 officers honored here, and one of 3 at New York State Office of Court Administration.

Seventy-two law enforcement officers from eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, alongside 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and more than 2,800 civilians. A fourth aircraft went down in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a law enforcement officer aboard was among the dead.

Officers went into the towers while everyone else was coming out. More than 25,000 people reached safety because they did.

Survivors

He is survived by his two sons and mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-3DEDA382
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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Tributes

You went in while everyone else was coming out.
Captain Thompson gave the New York State Office of Court Administration 27 years.
Thank you for your service to the Albany community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Thompson.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Albany, NY
Platform Identity nysoca.albany.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 11, 2001
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Age 51
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail Terrorist attack
Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

Captain William Thompson is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In NY, 655 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 30.5% of this state's fallen. That is 30.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At New York State Office of Court Administration, 3 of 7 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

New York State Office of Court Administration
3
of 7 officers
42.9% Illness
NY — Statewide
655
of 2,147 officers
30.5% Illness
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Thompson's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How William Thompson Compares

Age at Death
51
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.7 years
Years of Service
27
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.7 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. William Thompson is highlighted in Sep.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
186
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
182
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
353
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location