Roll of Honor
Incident
Captain William Homan died as a result of contracting yellow fever during the Lower Mississippi Valley Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878.
The Memphis Police Department became understaffed after the resignations of more than 20 officers who fled the city with their families for safety. Only 31 officers remained on duty and at their assigned posts during the epidemic, including the Chief of Police. All 31 officers became sick, and 10 officers died from complications of yellow fever while carrying out their official police duties and caring for their families, who also became ill due to the epidemic.
Captain Homan was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War and served with the Memphis Police Department for nine years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-7237DD94- 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 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.
Captain Homan gave the Memphis Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Memphis 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
William M. Homan served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Captain William M. Homan 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 TN, 43 of 769 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Memphis Police Department, 16 of 94 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 17% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William M. Homan's cause is highlighted.
How William M. Homan Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. William M. Homan is highlighted in Sep.
Others Who Wore This Badge
93 officers from Memphis Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
