Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Burl Whittington was killed during a high-speed pursuit that began on South Broadway. He was conducting a special speed enforcement operation due to recent complaints about speeders. Patrolman Burl attempted to stop a car north of Hogg Junior High School but was led on a chase reaching 95 mph. His patrol car hit a dip in the road and went out of control on Old Bullard Road 200 yards south of the Jacksonville Highway. The vehicle struck a tree, causing Patrolman Whittington to suffer fatal injuries. Two juveniles were later arrested for their part in the chase and admitted that they were involved in a "hot rod" race. A 17-year-old was charged with speeding and two cases of failing to stop at stop signs. He paid $181.50 in fines for his traffic violations. Patrolman Whittington was a United States Army WWII veteran and had served with the Tyler Police Department for 17 months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-110D405D- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Whittington gave the Tyler Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Tyler community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Burl Whittington served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Patrolman Burl Whittington is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Tyler Police Department, 3 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Burl Whittington's cause is highlighted.
How Burl Whittington Compares
Offender Outcome
vehicle pursuit
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Burl Whittington is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Tyler Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
