The weekend of November 25 and 26, 2017 mark the 50th and 64th anniversaries of two police officers featured on this blog: Robert Lawrence Tatman and Richard Stanley Burchfield. Both Tatman and Burchfield were killed in the line of duty. Both were shot. Both were young husbands. Both were young fathers. Robert Lawrence Tatman Champaign […]
Robert L. Tatman
National Police Week 2011: Tribute to Tatman
Champaign, Illinois: On November 25, 1967, police found patrol officer Tatman lying on his back in front of his own squad car, the motor still running, it’s revolving lights still on, and the front door at the driver’s side open. His flashlight was lying on his left side. His hat was on the ground near the […]
Killed in the line of duty
President Barack Obama paid tribute Saturday for a grateful nation to law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice while safeguarding their communities. Americans “rely on a certain order in our lives, a certain sense of security that lets us sleep safely in our beds and walk around our neighborhoods free from fear and go […]
The Cold Case of Robert Lawrence Tatman
On November 25, 1967, police found Robert Lawrence Tatman lying on his back in front of his own squad car, motor running, revolving lights still on, and the front door at the driver’s side open, near Interstate 57. His flashlight was lying on his left side. His hat was on the ground near the curb. He […]