Shot Officer Seara Burton 'Still With Us' After Life Support Turned Off

Indiana police officer Seara Burton, who was shot on duty during a traffic stop on August 10 and has been in critical condition since, was taken off life support on Thursday, the Richmond Police Department said.

While several news agencies reported her death following the department's announcement, Richmond Police wrote in a statement published on Thursday afternoon that "at this time Officer Burton is still alive and surrounded by family."

Richmond Mayor David Snow said that though the officer was removed from life-support in the morning, Burton was "still with us" in the afternoon.

"We know the time of her passing is imminent; however, right now, her family is spending precious time with her," Snow said.

The mayor asked for people to maintain calm and respect the privacy of Burton's family, promising an update when the situation should change.

Newsweek reached out to the Richmond Police Department and the mayor's office for more information on Burton's condition.

Burton, a 28-year-old Richmond Police K-9 Officer and a four-year veteran of the department, was shot on August 10 while responding to help other officers at a traffic stop involving a moped. Police identified the suspect as Phillip M. Lee, 47.

According to police reports, Burton's K-9 partner, Brev, was conducting an open-air sniff around the vehicle and indicated the possible presence of narcotics. The police said that as officers spoke with the suspect, he allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired multiple shots at the officers around the moped. Court documents say footage of the incident shows him aiming at the officers' "head and facial areas."

Officers returned fire after Burton was shot to the head, but the man managed to briefly flee on foot before getting caught. Lee was treated for gunshot wounds and brought to a hospital. He remains in county jail.

Meanwhile, Burton was airlifted to a hospital. On August 11, Richmond Police Chief Michael Britt said Officer Seara Burton was in "extremely critical" condition. On August 17, a new update said there had been "bright spots" in the officer's recovery but her condition was "still very serious."

In a statement released by the Richmond Police Department on Wednesday, the administration announced that Burton's doctors had decided she would not be able to recover from her injuries and that life support should be stopped. It added that Burton was an organ donor.

"Seara will live on and continue to be a hero with her selfless gift of organ donation," the statement said. "Officer Burton will continue to serve others long after her passing."

Burton had recently graduated as an officer in the K-9 Unit of the Richmond Police Department, a Facebook post congratulating her shows. She was engaged to be married the weekend after the shooting.

Burton's fiancée, Sierra Neal, wore her wedding dress and visited Burton in the hospital on August 19. The moment was captured in a touching video shared by Neal on TikTok.

"This walk was supposed to look a lot different, but I will always be thankful we still got to celebrate," Neal wrote on TikTok. "Even if it is not legal on paper, you are my wife."

Lee is currently being held on a $1.5 million bond and has been charged with three counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, possession of methamphetamine, and other drug charges.