RICHMOND, Ind. (WDTN) – It’s been almost one year since Officer Seara Burton died after being shot in the line of duty. The community will gather Friday night to remember Officer Burton’s life.
Richmond Mayor Dave Snow told 2 NEWS one year later, Richmond is still healing.
“Some days it feels like Seara is a million miles away and some days it still feels like she’s here,” Snow said. “It’s rough. It’s hard on all of us.”
The Richmond mayor said through the challenges since Burton was shot, he has watched his city come together.
“Seara would have been really impressed and humbled to see the way she united this community,” Snow said. “We saw such solidarity in the face of that tragedy.”
He got to know Burton during her four years at the Richmond Police Department. She was competitive, humble, strong and caring.
“She had a really infectious personality,” Snow said. “She was very approachable, very nice, very funny.”
On Friday, a vigil will be held at the Richmond Municipal Building to honor Burton and keep her memory alive. Snow said he wants the community to get to know Burton as he did, beyond the badge and uniform.
“I want people to understand that the uniform really amplified who she was inside, and learning a little more about her as a person and celebrating that person is really important,” Snow said.
Burton was shot in the line of duty on August 10, 2022, while assisting with a routine traffic stop. A man pulled out a gun and shot Burton in the head. She was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where she would stay for the next 24 days.
Burton died on September 18, 2022, at the age of 28 years old.
While many are still dealing with the grief of losing Officer Burton, Snow said wants this vigil to be a celebration of her life, service and sacrifice.
“At the end of the day, what Seara would have wanted for all of us is to find new challenges in life, move forward, look ahead, and do all we can be to be the best of ourselves because that’s what she was doing here,” Snow said.
The vigil will be Friday, September 8 at 6 p.m. on the south steps of the Richmond Municipal Building located at 50 N 5th St. Anyone is welcome to attend.
