Sergeant Ernest H. Thornhill
End of Watch: Sat, Nov 30th, 1918
Date of Incident: Tue, Nov 26th, 1918
Cause of Death: Duty-Related Illness
Service Time: 8 months
Age: 30
Survivors
His two sons, both under the age of three.
Incident
Sergeant Ernest Thornhill died as a result of contracting the Spanish Influenza while assisting victims in getting to the hospital.
He was taken to the City Hospital where he died as a result of complications four days after developing symptoms.
Sergeant Thornhill's wife and infant daughter died the next day due to complications of Spanish Influenza and childbirth.
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.
Information obtained from the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Agency
The Louisville Division of Police has been disbanded and absorbed by the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Gallery
Tributes
There are currently no tributes for Sergeant Ernest H. Thornhill.