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 the 1918-1920 Influenza Pandemic on Law Enforcement

Also known as "Spanish Flu" or "LaGrippe," the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to early 1920, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed approximately 675,000 Americans. The effect of the influenza epidemic in the United States was so dire that the average life span in the U.S. fell by twelve years. The four waves of the flu began in March 1918 and ended in April 1920. 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 Influenza Pandemic will likely never be known. Still, ODMP researchers continue to uncover new cases as part of our mission never to forget the fallen.

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