John S. Burke

MI State Police — Lansing, MI

Felonious

End of Watch October 13, 1930

Age 23

The Vigil Panel 60 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 56

Incident

Trooper Burke was shot and killed after stopping two bank robbers in St. Joseph County. He had been notified of the robbery and stopped the men on a county road. While he searched one of the suspects the second suspect shot him in the back three times. The suspects then drove over his body before fleeing. Both suspects, 28 and 30, were apprehended four hours later just across the state line in Indiana. Six hours later both were convicted of Trooper Burke's murder. Four days later both were in the state penitentiary serving a life sentence. The next day it was discovered that the one who fired the fatal shot had gone AWOL from the army in 1921. The other inmate had escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary in 1926 a few days after he was sentenced to 2 to 15 years for breaking and entering. In 1933 he was adjudged insane and committed in the state mental hospital for the criminally insane at Ionia. In 1948 the other suspect was awarded a new trial, convicted of second degree murder, and sentenced to 7 to 15 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-237AACC6
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.
Trooper Burke served with the Michigan State Police.
Thank you for your service to the people of Michigan. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Burke.

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

Agency

Department MI State Police

Location Lansing, MI

Platform Identity msp.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 13, 1930

Age 23

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to life

Trooper John S. Burke 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 MI, 426 of 718 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.3% of this state's fallen. That is 5.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At MI State Police, 27 of 57 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.4% of this agency's fallen.

MI State Police

of 57 officers

47.4% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious