Richard David Shurtz

Rock Island Police Department — Rock Island, IL

Accident Veteran →

End of Watch October 24, 1993

Age 46

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

The Vigil Panel 139 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 8

Incident

Auxiliary Captain Rick Shurtz accidentally shot and killed himself while showing another officer how Auxiliary Officer Todd Johnson was shot and killed four days earlier during a training accident. He was providing security at a community haunted house at 4000 Black Hawk Road when he attempted the demonstration. He removed the magazine from his weapon but forgot to remove the chambered round. After he was struck by the round, he attempted to drive himself to the hospital but was involved in a vehicle crash. He underwent surgery but died the following day as the result of an injured aorta sustained in the vehicle crash. Auxiliary Captain Shurtz was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. He had served with the Rock Island Police Department for 20 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-33F64D3B
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.
Auxiliary Captain Shurtz gave the Rock Island Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Rock Island 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 Rock Island Police Department

Location Rock Island, IL

Platform Identity ripd.rockisland.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 24, 1993

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Weapon but forgot to remove the chambered round. After he was struck by the round, he attempted to drive himself to the hospital but was involved in a vehicle crash.

Military Service

Richard David Shurtz served in the Navy (1966â1970) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Auxiliary Captain Richard David Shurtz 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 IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Rock Island Police Department, 4 of 9 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 44.4% of this agency's fallen.

Rock Island Police Department

of 9 officers

44.4% Accident

IL — Statewide

354

of 1,318 officers

26.9% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident