Police Officer George A. Garland

George A. Garland

Police Officer George Garland died after contracting the flu while assigned to emergency duty at the emergency hospital, which had been set up in the old armory on Duncan Street, during the Spanish Flu pandemic.

He contracted the flu and pneumonia, and died from the effects of the illness on May 14th, 1917.

Officer Garland was a widower who was survived by his four children, mother, sister, and two brothers.

Effects of Spanish Flu on Law Enforcement

From 1918 to early 1919, the Spanish Flu pandemic infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed approximately 675,000 Americans. Many officers contracted this virus due to the requirements of their job.

The names of every officer who died in the line of duty from the Spanish Flu will likely never be known, but ODMP researchers continue to uncover new cases as part of our mission to never forget the fallen.

Please click here to view ODMP's Spanish Flu memorial listing all known fallen officers from the pandemic.