Roll of Honor
William A. Burnett, Jr.
Incident
Assistant Watershed Warden Billy Burnett was shot and killed after arresting a trespasser in the North Fork Watershed.
Assistant Warden Burnett, along with his father who served as the warden, observed four men trespassing along the watershed and split up to apprehend them. When the men saw the wardens they all fled. Assistant Warden Burnett was able to arrest one of the men and began walking with him to meet up with his father.
The man suddenly grabbed his 18-inch metal flashlight and struck Assistant Warden Burnett on the head, knocking him down. He then grabbed Assistant Burnett's pistol from its holster and shot him several times. His father witnessed the shooting and exchanged shots with the man as he fled. The subject was arrested the following day. He plead guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
Assistant Warden Burnett was a U.S. Navy veteran and had only been appointed as the Assistant Watershed Warden ten days earlier.
Survivors
He was survived by his parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-903E732A- 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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Assistant Watershed Warden Burnett served with the Asheville Water Department.
Thank you for your service to the Asheville community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
William A. Burnett, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Assistant Watershed Warden William A. Burnett, Jr. 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 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. William A. Burnett, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How William A. Burnett, Jr. Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William A. Burnett, Jr. is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William A. Burnett, Jr. was killed by officer's handgun.