Richard Lewis Chatburn

Kansas City Police Department — Kansas City, MO

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch September 23, 1962

Age 26

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 7 mo

The Vigil Panel 97 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 119

Incident

Patrolman Richard Chatburn was accidentally shot and killed while investigating a possible prowler at the Northwest Motorcycle shop at 2200 Truman Road. While checking the back door of the business, the owner who mistook Patrolman Chatburn for a prowler, shot through the back door with a 12 gauge shotgun, hitting Officer Chatburn in the chest and killing him. Patrolman Chatburn was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Kansas City Police Department for 19 months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three month old daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-F9E51346
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 Chatburn gave the Kansas City Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Kansas City 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

Department Kansas City Police Department

Location Kansas City, MO

Platform Identity kcpd.jackson.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 23, 1962

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 7 mo

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun; 12 gauge

Offender Not available

Military Service

Richard Lewis Chatburn served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman Richard Lewis Chatburn is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Kansas City Police Department, 72 of 120 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Kansas City Police Department

of 120 officers

60% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious