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Lester M. Kidwell
Agency patch
Officer

Lester M. Kidwell

Metropolitan Police Department — Washington, DC
Accident
United States flag District of Columbia flag
End of Watch July 11, 1918
Age 31
Tour of Duty 7 mo
The Vigil Panel 34 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 130

Incident

Officer Lester Kidwell died when he fell through a skylight while investigating suspicious activity near his home on Neal Street. He had just reported off duty at approximately midnight and arrived home at 1:00 am. He heard a dog barking, and went to investigate due to a recent rash of thefts from the area. He climbed onto the roof of a shed in the backyard of 1161 Neal Street, NE, but slipped through the skylight and suffered a deep cut to his jugular. Despite the injury he was able to make it to a call box at Montello Avenue and Otis Place and requested assistance. He was able to tell responding officers what happened just before losing consciousness. A witness told officers she saw the suspected thief run through the alley behind the home just before Officer Kidwell fell. Officer Kidwell had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for seven months. He was survived by his wife. He was buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery in Laurel, Maryland.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Kidwell served with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Kidwell.

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

Agency

Department Metropolitan Police Department
Type Police Department
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity mpdc.dc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 11, 1918
Tour of Duty 7 mo
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Lester is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1918, 39 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 108th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Lester was 31. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Lester had served 0.6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Lester among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Lester M. Kidwell

Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch July 11, 1918

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 62-E

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