Police Officer Charles Aloysius Prendergast

Charles Aloysius Prendergast

Police Officer Charles Prendergast died as a result of complications of Spanish Influenza while acting as a stretcher-bearer for Spanish Influenza victims.

Officer Prendergast and seven other officers volunteered to be stretcher-bearers at various hospitals in the city after the department had made a request for volunteers due to the impact of the Spanish Influenza. Officer Prendergast had fallen ill shortly after the assignment and died at his home due to complications of the Spanish Influenza.

Due to the devastation of the Spanish Influenza pandemic, Philadelphia Police districts were used as makeshift hospitals. Police officers were ordered to fill and deliver prescriptions, act as pallbearers of victims, placard homes, collect bodies of victims of homes, assist doctors and health officers, and make sure establishments were closed and following guidelines to stop the spread of the flu.

Police Officer Prendergast was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for more than 10 years. He was survived by his wife and infant son. Officer Prendergast was attached to the 29th Police District.

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.