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Captain

Preston George Burnam

Amarillo Police Department — Amarillo, TX

Felonious

End of Watch January 5, 1934

Age 62

The Vigil Panel 148 · Column 3 · Line 1 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 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

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 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 Department

Type Other

Location Amarillo, Potter County, 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

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Preston is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1934, 178 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 16th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Preston was 62. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded