Patrolman Burch was shot and killed by a 17 year-old youth he had arrested for running a red light and driving a stolen car. The suspect, handcuffed and in the back seat of the patrol car, produced a .22 caliber pistol and shot him three times in the back of his head. The suspect was apprehended at a Lafayette motel later that night.
Patrolman Burch had served with the agency for seven years.
