Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman William Burns was overcome by gas fumes while attempting to rescue a sewer department employee who was trapped in an underground lift station at the Hardin Mall. Patrolman Burns and two other workers were overcome while attempting to rescue the man. Methane gas leaked into the pump station due to a broken valve. The water district was fined for ignoring safety standards; the air in the underground station was not tested for toxic gases, there was no ventilation, and no emergency breathing equipment was available. Patrolman Burns had served with the Radcliff Police Department for ten years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-78DD2234- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Burns gave the Radcliff Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Radcliff community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Burns.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman William R. Burns 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 KY, 161 of 983 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.4% of this state's fallen. That is 14.6 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William R. Burns's cause is highlighted.
How William R. Burns Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. William R. Burns is highlighted in Jul.