Roll of Honor
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
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BO-US-TX-D9CB8D74- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable W. Riley Burnett 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. W. Riley Burnett's cause is highlighted.
How W. Riley Burnett Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 25 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. W. Riley Burnett is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. W. Riley Burnett was killed by gun; unknown type.