Preston George Burnam

Amarillo Police Dept. — Amarillo, TX

Felonious

End of Watch January 5, 1934

Age 62

The Vigil Panel 67 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 15

Incident

Captain Preston Burnam was shot and killed after responding to a call of a man with a gun in a hotel. The suspect was staying at the Western Motel and was creating a drunken disturbance in his room. The resident of another room called the front desk and complained about the noise. The desk clerk went to suspect's room and asked him to be quiet. The suspect then ran out into the hall carrying a gun demanding to know who was complaining. The suspect and the person who called in the complaint began fighting in the hall. The weapon discharged and the fight ended. The suspect ran downstairs into the lobby and assaulted another person staying at the hotel. The suspect held the gun to the side of the person he had assaulted in the lobby and ordered him outside the hotel. As they were walking out of the hotel Captain Burnam and his driver pulled up. The suspect began running around the corner of the hotel. Captain Burnam chased him and the driver stayed to interview the complainant. Gunshots were heard around the corner and when the driver ran to assist he found Captain Burnam on the ground wounded. Captain Burnam was assisted to the hotel where he died. He had been shot four times at close range by a .32 Colt revolver. Captain Burnam's weapon was still in its holster. The suspect was later apprehended and the weapon recovered. The 27-year-old suspect was sentenced to life in prison. On August 28, 1942, he was killed by a fellow inmate who struck him in the head with a hammer at the Harlem Prison Farm in Fort Bend County.

Survivors

Captain Burnam was survived by his daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-375203B5
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.
Captain Burnam served with the Amarillo Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Amarillo community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Burnam.

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

Agency

Department Amarillo Police Dept.

Location Amarillo, TX

Platform Identity apd.potter.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 5, 1934

Age 62

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .32 caliber

Offender Deceased

Captain Preston George Burnam 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Amarillo Police Dept., 10 of 16 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62.5% of this agency's fallen.

Amarillo Police Dept.

of 16 officers

62.5% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious