Richmond police officer shot in line of duty will not survive injuries, transferred to hospice
UPDATE: The Richmond Police Department confirmed in a Facebook post Saturday afternoon that Officer Seara Burton has been transferred from the Intensive Care Unit at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton to a hospice facility in the Richmond area.
LATEST: There are no changes to report on K-9 Officer Seara Burton’s condition today, the Richmond Police Department said in a Facebook post on Monday.
RICHMOND, Ind. (WISH) — Richmond’s mayor Dave Snow says doctors did remove officer Seara Burton from life support this morning, but she is still alive. He did say her passing is imminent and her family is currently with her.
“For a lot of us, it’s hard to even believe it even happened in the first place. It’s just sad,” the finance officer of the American Legion Post No. 315, David Lindsey, said.
The community is rallying around 28-year-old Officer Seara Burton. According to the Richmond Police Department, who posted an update on social media Thursday afternoon, Burton was still alive and surrounded by family.
Burton was shot during a traffic stop on Aug 10.
“Just upset all over again and hurt that her family is going through this, [and] that she had to go through this,” said Cathy Hillard, the owner of Smiley’s Pub.
Smiley’s Pub says with the help of multiple organizations, it raised more than $50,000 to support officer Burton and her family. They plan to host more fundraisers.
“It’s just like losing a veteran. I’m a Vietnam veteran and every time we lose one of them it’s a sad thing. We really support the police department here and we do whatever we can do to help,” Lindsey said.
Several police agencies also showing their support on social media. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said, “Officer Burton, we thank you for your service and sacrifice. Rest easy.”
“It’s just hard. It should have never happened,” Hillard said.
The Richmond Police Department says it will give an official update once it’s available.