“A model officer.” Slain officer identified as Joe Burson

By Josh Morgan

Click here for updates on this story

    HOLLY SPRINGS, Georgia (WGCL) — The Holly Springs Police Department has officially identified their officer who was killed after attempting to pull over a suspect for speeding.

Holly Springs Police Chief Tom Keheley identified the officer as Joe Burson, a 25-yea-old man from Ball Ground, Ga. The chief said he had only been on the force for just more than year.

“He was a model officer,” Keheley said. “If you had the ability to clone your officers, you want your officer to be Joe Burson.”

Chief Keheley went on to say that Officer Burson loved talking with local children about being a police officer. He said that he would take time to sit in the police cars with them, answer their questions, and let them see the police lights.

“He was a genuinely good individual,” Keheley added.

Chief Keheley said this was Officer Burson’s first job

Just a month ago, Officer Burson received a Chief’s Commendation for his actions during an April 9 traffic stop. They posted about it on their Facebook page.

The Georgia Law Enforcement Organization identified the officer killed in Holly Springs about 30 minutes before the news conference.

The organization posted on Facebook that their “thoughts go out to his family, and his work family at the City of Holly Springs.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.