Metropolitan Police Department, District of Columbia
End of Watch: Thursday, July 11, 1918
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 7 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Fall
Date of Incident: July 11, 1918
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
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.