In the annals of the Burlington City Police Department, the name George Gusrang holds a somber significance as the first officer to be killed in the line of duty. At 49 years of age, Patrolman Gusrang's life was cut tragically short on the evening of Friday, November 22, 1907. He was a married man and a father to two children.
On that fateful night, Patrolman Gusrang was on his beat when he encountered a group of men on the street. These men had just left a local tavern, seeking to distance themselves from a stranger who had been unsettling them with talk of a recent murder. As Gusrang engaged in conversation with the citizens, the very stranger they sought to avoid emerged from the tavern.
Without any warning or provocation, the man drew a handgun and fired twice at Patrolman Gusrang. As the officer fell to the ground, the assailant callously stood over him and fired a third, point-blank shot into his chest.
The shocking and sudden violence of the act stunned the onlookers and the community.
Immediately after murdering the patrolman, the unidentified man turned the gun on himself, ending his own life. The motive for this senseless attack remains a mystery, as the perpetrator's suicide eliminated any chance of interrogation or understanding his actions. The investigation concluded that he acted alone. Consequently, there were no arrests made in connection with the death of Patrolman George Gusrang, and the case was closed. His sacrifice is honored and remembered by the Burlington City Police Department and the community he served.
