Roll of Honor
Incident
Investigator James Burns was shot and killed by a Xenia police officer who mistook him for an armed suspect. Investigator Burns and an aide were conducting surveillance at a Xenia nightclub and followed a group of 16 people who had left the club, believing they were heading to a location serving bootlegged alcohol. The group walked to a nearby home on Main Street to attend a private party. When Investigator Burns entered the home, he was told to leave by the homeowner. When he refused to leave, the residents blocked his exit as they called the local police, not knowing that he was an undercover agent. When the homeowner walked into a different room, Investigator Burns followed him. A struggle ensued between the two men, and Investigator Burns' service weapon fell to the floor. As the two struggled for it, the weapon discharged, fatally striking the homeowner in the head. A Xenia officer was just arriving at the home when the shot was fired, and he entered the home with his gun drawn. He observed Investigator Burns holding his service weapon and ordered him to drop it. When he did not immediately drop it, the officer opened fire, striking him in the chest. Investigator Burns had served with the Ohio Division of Liquor Control for 17 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-05AA3F55- 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.
Investigator Burns gave the Ohio Division of Liquor Control 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Columbus community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Investigator Burns.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Investigator James 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 OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Burns's cause is highlighted.
How James Burns Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Burns is highlighted in Nov.