Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Willard Burton was shot and killed while assisting other officers in arresting a man who was creating a disturbance on Main Street near High Street in Elkhart.
The subject who shot him was a night police officer for the city. The man was convicted but later pardoned.
Officer Burton had served with the Elkhart Police Department for five years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IN-36B41D0B- 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
138 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Officer Burton gave the Elkhart Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Elkhart community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Willard L. Burton 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 IN, 311 of 503 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Elkhart Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Willard L. Burton's cause is highlighted.
How Willard L. Burton Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Willard L. Burton is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Elkhart Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
