Born in 1884, William Hazelton "Haze" Burch grew up to become a Phoenix Police Officer during the early days of law enforcement in Arizona.

Shortly after midnight on on February 5, 1925 Officer Burch was on patrol in the area near 7th Street & Jefferson. He saw two young men siphoning gas from a car. "He was a stern man," said his grandson Frank Haze Burch, "but he was a very kind man and a peacemaker."

Frank Burch says his grandpa approached the two men and said "good evening boys just in an attempt to not alarm them or not to rile them up."

What Officer Burch didn't realize was the two brothers were suspects in two separate law enforcement murders. One suspect murdered Fort Worth Deputy Sheriff Joseph Morgan in Texas, and the other murdered Montana Officer Charles Wilson.

Peacemaking tactics didn't work and Haze Burch as was shot.

The young men took off running.

Phoenix was a small town at the time, with just 35,000 people. As the story was told to his grandson, gunshots were rare. "Dad actually heard the gunshots and it frightened him, he was only five and so he ran into his Mom's bedroom and she told him 'I think that's your Dad'."

They sat on the bed and waited for officers to show up at the house with the news Haze had been shot.

After the shooting, Officer Burch told the police chief he knew he wasn't going to survive and asked that they take care of his wife and babies. He passed away at 7 p.m. that evening.

The two suspects were eventually captured and prosecuted.

Now, 95 years later, Phoenix Officer "Haze" Burch is taking his important place in the history of Phoenix with the restoration of his original tombstone and a new gravesite memorial marker donated by the Foundation of Retired Police Officers (FORPO).

The re-dedication ceremony is set for Sunday March 15 at 1 p.m. at Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery, 2300 W. Van Buren.

Grandson Frank Burch will be present for the gravesite dedication along with additional Burch family members. Also attending to honor Officer Burch will be many retired officers who were early and recent members of the Phoenix Police Department. Media and the public are also invited to attend.

This story comes to the Phoenix Newsroom through a partnership with the Foundation of Retired Police Officers
Executive Board of Directors:
Joyce Hubler, Executive Director/Founder/Retired Police Detective
Stan Hoover, Executive Director/Retired Police Lieutenant
Edward Catlett, Financial Director/Retired Phoenix Police
Becky Rice, Health & Welfare Chair/Former Phoenix Officer/Retired Retail Investigator

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First Phx Officer Killed on Duty Honored with Refurbished Headstone

03/11/2020 Police

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