DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — On the first day of Black History Month, the Dayton Police Department is honoring its first Black patrolman.
William A. Jenkins started service to the department in September of 1898.
According to the DPD , Jenkins had a reputation for rarely losing a suspect in a foot chase. His most notable moments of service were during the flood of 1913.
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Jenkins is credited with saving 40 people when he went door to door in the early morning hours to alert people of the Wolf Creek levee breach.
After those rescues, he was swept away and severely injured.
He stayed on the job for three additional years and retired in 1916 due to injuries he suffered while arresting members of the “Alabama Gang.”
Jenkins died in 1926 when he was 60 years old.
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