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Constable

W. Riley Burnett

Dallas County Constable's Office - Precinct 8 — Dallas, TX

Felonious

End of Watch August 2, 1893

Age 34

The Vigil Panel 12 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Constable Riley Burnett was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant on a suspect for burglary. The subject asked Constable Burnett if he could go into his brother-in-law's home to get a hat. The man came out of the house firing a Winchester rifle, striking Constable Burnett in the lung and face. The suspect was apprehended and sentenced to 25 years.

Survivors

Constable Burnett was survived by his wife and children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-D9CB8D74
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

133 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Burnett served with the Dallas County Constable's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Dallas County Constable's Office - Precinct 8

Type Other

Location Dallas, TX

Platform Identity dccop8co.dallas.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 2, 1893

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Constable W. Riley Burnett 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 TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Dallas County Constable's Office - Precinct 8

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,461

of 2,422 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. W. Riley Burnett's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

1 (0%)

Accident

1 (0%)

Illness

1 (0%)

Cardiac

1 (0%)

Undetermined

1 (0%)

Suicide

1 (0%)

How W. Riley Burnett Compares

Age at Death

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. W. Riley Burnett is highlighted in Aug.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,516

May

1,504

Jun

1,442

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,517

Sep

1,491

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. W. Riley Burnett was killed by gun.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Dallas County Constable's Office - Precinct 8 are honored on badge.nw.