Charles Burrell

Galveston Police Department — Galveston, TX

Felonious

End of Watch July 30, 1914

Age 33

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 29 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 18

Incident

Detective Charles Burrell was in a restaurant at the corner of 28th and Church Street when two men approached from behind him.

One of the men shot Detective Burrell in the neck, the bullet ranging upward through his jaw and lodging in his head. Both men were quickly captured and the weapon was recovered. Detective Burrell was taken to a local hospital where he was able to identify one of his assailants.

The investigation into the shooting revealed that Detective Burrell, an African American, had been working to wipe out cocaine dealing in the segregated areas of Galveston. He had arrested his two assailants, both Caucasian males, several times in the recent past for drug dealing.

Detective Burrell died from his wounds one week later, on July 30th, 1914.

Detective Burrell was survived by his wife, sister, and two brothers. He is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Galveston, Texas.

Survivors

Detective Burrell was survived by his wife, sister, and two brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-5753CAF7
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

You barely got started.
Detective Burrell gave the Galveston Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Galveston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Burrell.

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

Agency

Department Galveston Police Department

Location Galveston, TX

Platform Identity gpd.galveston.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 30, 1914

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Detective Charles Burrell 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 Galveston Police Department, 10 of 19 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 52.6% of this agency's fallen.

Galveston Police Department

of 19 officers

52.6% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious