Olin B. Burrow

Fayette County Sheriff's Department — Somerville, TN

Felonious

End of Watch March 23, 1940

Age 46

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 76 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Chief Deputy Burrow was shot and killed when he and several officers went to a home and attempted to arrest a man for assault.

Deputy Burrow and several officers tracked the 60-year-old suspect to his daughter's home. The officers surrounded the house and ordered the suspect to come out. The suspect refused and stated that he would not be taken alive. One of the officers left, headed to town to get tear bombs. Before he could return, the suspect exited the house armed with a rifle and exchanged gunfire with the officers. Deputy Burrow was shot and killed instantly. The suspect escaped.

The suspect was apprehended in St. Louis, Missouri in 1958. He was convicted of Chief Deputy Burrow's murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. His sentence was later reduced to 10 years.

Chief Deputy Burrow had served with the Fayette County Sheriff's Office for ten years, four of which he was the Chief Deputy.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-01E3E41D
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief Deputy Burrow gave the Fayette County Sheriff's Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Somerville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief Deputy Burrow.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Fayette County Sheriff's Department

Type Sheriff's Office

Location Somerville, Fayette County, TN

Platform Identity fcso.fayette.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 23, 1940

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Rifle

Chief Deputy Olin B. Burrow is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 64.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Fayette County Sheriff's Department, 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.

Fayette County Sheriff's Department

of 6 officers

83.3% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious