Police Officer John Thomas Burnette, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, North Carolina

Police Officer John Thomas Burnette

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, North Carolina

End of Watch Tuesday, October 5, 1993

John Thomas Burnette

Officer John Burnette and Officer Anthony Nobles were shot and killed after a foot chase with a suspect.

The officers had stopped a suspicious van in an apartment complex. The suspect fled on foot into the woods surrounding the complex. When the officers entered the woods, the suspect attacked them and was able to disarm Officer Burnette. He then shot both officers.

The officers were transported to Carolinas Medical Center by responding officers, where both were pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect was arrested nearby after a brief manhunt involving over 700 officers from various local, state, and federal agencies in North Carolina and South Carolina. He was later convicted of two counts of first degree murder and sentenced to death.

Officer Burnette had served with the agency for two and a half years. He is survived by his mother, stepfather, and sister.

The city of Charlotte named a park and two streets in honor of Officer Burnette and Officer Nobles.

Bio

Age 25
Tour 2 years, 6 months
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Weapon Officer's handgun
Offender Sentenced to death

Most Recent Reflection

View all 53 Reflections

I remember this; I was working at Mercy hospital and I was in college at UNC Charlotte. My dad was head of security at the hospital. The mother of the awful man who shot them was admitted during the trial w/ "heart problems." As part of my father's job he had to use his name instead of hers as being the patient so that the press would not hound her. I'm sure it was hard for her but not as hard as the family of those fallen officers. I think about them often.

Jennie
1971

March 30, 2017