RICHMOND, Indiana (WDTN) — A Texas Roadhouse in Richmond will be hosting a fundraising night with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Officer Seara Burton’s family.
Many patrons who dined at Texas Roadhouse Wednesday night said no one should ever have to wonder if their loved one will make it home or not.”
“It’s awful, they go out to help protect us and you don’t know if they’ll come home or not,” said Richmond Resident Carol Brown.
Brown comes from a law enforcement family, she says the community is still grieving for Officer Seara Burton’s family. Texas Roadhouse’s Operations Manager Mary Crumley-Effinger decided it was time to do something special.
“Since Richmond is such a small town, you hear a female officer was shot and you think who is it, is it someone I could know, your mind just is racing,” said Crumley-Effinger. “Hearing how people are coming out to support is just amazing, even on that day we got updates but we still didn’t know what was going on.”
On Wednesday night, 100-percent of Texas Roadhouse’s profits will be donated to Burton’s family, something staff says was an easy decision.
“There are yard signs and on the city building there’s a tribute to her with her squad car and that’s been amazing, basically anywhere in town you see that in our community, coming together for Officer Burton,” said Crumley-Effinger.
28-year-old Officer Seara Burton was shot in the line of duty on August 10 while responding to a traffic stop. She was taken by Care Flight to Miami Valley Hospital where she spent three weeks fighting for her life and she is not giving up her fight yet.
“Hang in there, the Lord is with us all,” said Brown.
Roadhouse staff expect to raise between $15,000 -to- $18,000 Wednesday night. Even if you missed tonight’s fundraiser, the Richmond Police Department says they are still receiving donations to go towards their Blue Angel Fund.
Retired RPD officer Paul Phillips told our sister station FOX59 he was Burton’s supervisor for a brief period of time during her training.
“She was very enthusiastic and very committed, willing to learn,” Phillips said. “She was very good. Is very good.”
Phillips said law enforcement is a family, and what happened to Burton affects all of her brothers and sisters in blue.
“It could happen to any of us,” Phillips said. “In this particular case, it happened to be Seara. We all take the risk, and she’s paying the price. There’s no other word for it that hurts.”
Richmond Police Chief Michael Britt shared an update Saturday evening stating that Officer Seara Burton has been transferred from Miami Valley Hospital to a hospice facility in Richmond.
Britt said, “Seara continues to remind us just how strong she is.”
Springfield Resident Joseph Mason dedicated a racing go-kart to several law enforcement members killed in the line of duty including Deputy Matthew Yates and Deputy Suzanne Hopper. With blue lights glowing in the night, Officer Burton’s picture along with her K9 partner leads the way.
