Wah Choon Lee
Agency patch
Officer

Wah Choon Lee

Honolulu Police Department — Honolulu, HI
Accident
End of Watch August 3, 1937
Age 25
Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Wah Lee was electrocuted when he grabbed a doorknob in a Wahiawa brothel during a raid in Wahiawa. The owner of the brothel had been raided several times before and had rigged the doorknob to prevent officers from entering. The owner was charged with manslaughter as a result of Officer Lee's death. Officer Lee had served with the Honolulu Police Department for 2-1/2 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his father, sister, and four brothers.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
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 Lee gave the Honolulu Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Honolulu community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Lee.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Honolulu, Honolulu County, HI
Platform Identity hpd.honolulu.hi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 3, 1937
Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo
Age 25
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Weapon Unknown weapon

The Sacrifice · Accident

Wah is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1937, 95 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 10th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Wah was 25. 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. Wah had served 2.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

August holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Tuesdays: 14.1%.

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. The weapon recorded was unknown weapon, in 0% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Honolulu Police Department has 52 officers remembered here, Wah among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Wah Choon Lee

Honolulu Police Department · End of Watch August 3, 1937

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 27-W

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