On a summer evening in Camden, Indiana, the life of 28-year-old Indiana State Trooper Todd Allen Burman was tragically cut short. On July 29, 1993, Trooper Burman responded to a call to assist the local town marshal with a disorderly subject. A 66-year-old man had become argumentative with the marshal over a stop sign near his home. When the marshal attempted to arrest him for disorderly conduct, the man retreated into his residence.
Trooper Burman, along with other officers, followed the man to his home. As they entered the house, the man suddenly appeared in a hallway armed with a. 30-30 rifle. He fired a single shot, striking Trooper Burman in the chest. Although he was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, the high-powered rifle round penetrated it. He was rushed to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette, where he succumbed to his injuries.
In the moments following the shooting, as the other officers worked to subdue the suspect, the 66-year-old man suffered a fatal heart attack and died at the scene. Trooper Burman had been a dedicated member of the Indiana State Police for two years and seven months, assigned to the Lafayette post. He also served his community as a paramedic.
