Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Walter Burgess was killed in an automobile crash on Cumberland Hill Road in Woonsocket while transporting an ill prisoner to Woonsocket Hospital. He and another trooper had arrested men and were transporting them to the state police barracks for questioning when one of the men passed out. They turned around and started responding to the hospital when a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction crossed the center line near Mendon Road and struck the patrol car head-on during a period of dense fog. Sergeant Burgess was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He had served with the Rhode Island State Police for just over 2 years.
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- Permanent identifier
BO-US-RI-D2905E89- 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.
Sergeant Burgess gave the Rhode Island State Police 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Rhode Island. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Burgess.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Walter J. Burgess 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 RI, 23 of 55 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 41.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.8 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Rhode Island State Police, 5 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Walter J. Burgess's cause is highlighted.
How Walter J. Burgess Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Walter J. Burgess is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
6 officers from Rhode Island State Police are honored on badge.nw.
