Andrew H. Burt

Salt Lake City Police Department — Salt Lake City, UT

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch August 25, 1883

Age 54

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

The Vigil Panel 7 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 22

Incident

Chief Andrew Burt was shot and killed while investigating a report of a man shooting a gun. At approximately noon on August 25, 1883 the shooter entered a restaurant on Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City and started an argument with the proprietor, at some point drawing a revolver and aiming it at him. The owner managed to get the shooter to leave, then summoned the police to deal with the situation. Marshal Burt, along with one Charles H. Wilckens, described by the Salt Lake Daily Tribune as a "watermaster", were the only persons at the police station when the call came in, and they responded. Approaching First South and Main Streets, the officers were met by the restaurant owner who led them to the shooter, who still had his weapon drawn. Seeing the officers, the shooter raised the weapon, shouted "Are you an officer?", then fired before either Marshal Burt or Mr. Wilckens could answer. Mr. Wilckens rushed up and seized the shooter, and there was a brief struggle for the weapon during which the shooter fired again, striking Wilcken's left arm near the elbow. An eyewitness standing nearby then rushed up and snatched the weapon away from the shooter as he was attempting to fire again. The shooter was then marched off to the city jail, which was located in City Hall on the north-east corner of First South and State Streets (then called 100 East; the State Capitol building wouldn't be built for another 30 years). As for Marshal Burt, nobody knew that he had been injured. He walked away from the melee a short distance and into the nearby A.C. Smith drug store, then went behind the store counter where he collapsed and died. When it was discovered that Marshal Burt had been slain a large crowd gathered outside City Hall, demanding that the shooter be handed over to them. Fearing for the shooter's safety, the officers attempted to relocate the him to a safer location, but instead he was seized and beaten by the crowd then dragged to a nearby exposed roof beam where he

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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.
Chief of Police Burt gave the Salt Lake City Police Department 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the Salt Lake City community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Salt Lake City Police Department

Location Salt Lake City, UT

Platform Identity slpd.saltlake.ut.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 25, 1883

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

Age 54

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; .45 caliber

Offender Lynched by mob

Military Service

Andrew H. Burt served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Chief of Police Andrew H. Burt 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 UT, 84 of 138 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.9% of this state's fallen. That is 6.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Salt Lake City Police Department, 14 of 23 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.9% of this agency's fallen.

Salt Lake City Police Department

of 23 officers

60.9% Felonious

UT — Statewide

of 138 officers

60.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious