Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Richard Gessner died as a result of complications of influenza while in the performance of his assigned duties during the Influenza Pandemic.
In August 1918, the first cases of influenza were reported in New York City, resulting in fewer than 31,600 deaths from the fall of 1918 until the final fourth wave in April 1920. The New York City Police Department's response to the pandemic was to enforce the health laws, including wearing masks and restricting large gatherings at churches, schools, theatres, and patrolling hot spots and quarantine zones.
Sergeant Gessner was assigned to the 51st Police Precinct.
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Sergeant Richard John Gessner died on November 2, 1918 of influenza contracted in the line of duty. He was 40.
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
He was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-E8FADC93- 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.
Sergeant Gessner served with the New York City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Gessner.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Richard John Gessner 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. Richard John Gessner's cause is highlighted.
How Richard John Gessner Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Richard John Gessner is highlighted in Nov.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1,236 officers from New York City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
