Shawn Allan Burnell

Indiana Department of Correction — Indianapolis, IN

Illness

End of Watch October 18, 2020

Age 29

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 3 mo

The Vigil Panel 173 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 11

Incident

Correctional Officer Shawn Burnell died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Putnamville Correctional Facility at 1946 West Highway 40 in Greencastle.

Officer Burnell had served with the Indiana Department of Correction for over three years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Correctional Officer Shawn Allan Burnell died on October 18, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 29.

He is one of 884 officers honored here.

Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.

Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.

Survivors

He was survived by his mother, father, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-5C5F6F05
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

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Correctional Officer Burnell gave the Indiana Department of Correction 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Indianapolis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Burnell.

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

Agency

Department Indiana Department of Correction

Location Indianapolis, IN

Platform Identity idc.marion.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 18, 2020

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 3 mo

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Correctional Officer Shawn Allan Burnell is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IN, 13 of 503 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.6% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

At Indiana Department of Correction, 1 of 12 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.3% of this agency's fallen.

Indiana Department of Correction

of 12 officers

8.3% Illness

IN — Statewide

of 503 officers

2.6% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness