Motorists passing Richmond on Interstate 70 will forever be reminded of the service and sacrifice of a Richmond Police Officer.
The U.S. 27 bridge over I-70 will be renamed the Officer Seara Burton Memorial Bridge during a ceremony on August 14. State Rep. Brad Barrett, a Richmond Republican who represents the 27th District, initiated the bridge’s renaming shortly after Burton’s death on September 18, 2022, and both houses of the Indiana Legislature passed a resolution during their 2023 sessions recommending that the Indiana Department of Transportation adopt the name.
According to a RPD press release, the public is invited to the naming ceremony on Aug. 14 at 1 p.m. at the Israel “Izzy” Edelman Police and Fire Training Center, 1740 S. Eighth St., Richmond. U.S. Senator Mike Braun, U.S. Representative Greg Pence, State Senator Jeff Raatz and Barrett are expected to attend.
“Officer Seara Burton embodied the values of courage, dedication and service,” the press release said. “Her actions left a lasting mark on Richmond and this ceremony cements her memory and ensures that she lives on forever. By naming the bridge after Officer Burton, we want to keep her legacy alive and remind everyone of the difference one person can make.”
Burton, 28, who became a dog handler in April 2022, had been with the RPD for four years when she was shot during a traffic stop on North 12th Street on August 10, 2022. She later succumbed to her injuries, 17 days after life support was removed.
A version of this article appeared in the August 7, 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
