Remember Our Fallen
Although communication between law enforcement agencies was primitive in 1925, news quickly spread of the murder.
This past February, the Phoenix Police Department marked the 100th anniversary of its first known line of duty death, William Hazelton“ Haze” Burch. Known around the Department simply as Haze Burch, he had worked in public service prior to becoming a member of the Phoenix Police Department. Haze worked as a volunteer firefighter, served as Constable of the East Phoenix Justice Court from 1917 to 1922, and was a candidate for Sheriff of Maricopa County.
At the time of his death, Haze was working third shift, as many of us have. The downtown core of Phoenix was much different in 1925, lined with various small businesses and establishments to eat and drink. At night, the downtown streets were barren. Anyone out and about late into the evening, would catch the attention of any watchful patrol officer. February 5th, according to historical weather detail, was unseasonably warm for February, the high that particular day reaching 79 degrees.
On this particular night, Haze’ s attention was drawn to the unusual sight of two men standing next to a car, nervously looking around between 7th and 8th streets on Jefferson( accounts differ on the exact location). Although siphoning gas is somewhat of an antiquated crime by today’ s standards, it was rather common in the 1920s. At this point, Haze knew he had enough to at least make contact with the parties and see what they were up to. In 1925, officers had no method or means to notify dispatch of their location and activity. In fact, radios were still a few years away and most communication was made via call box telephone.
Haze approached the pair and alerted them to his presence. Unknown at the time, was that the men were brothers, and wanted for the murders of Deputy Joseph Morgan of the Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Sheriff ' s Department and in Montana for the murder of Officer
Charles Wilson of the Livingston, Montana, Police Department.
Haze was able to quickly piece together what was happening in front of him and decided to place the brothers under arrest. He handcuffed the wrist of one man, and as he was going to cuff the other, he was startled to see the barrel of a gun. After a brief exchange between the two, gunshots rang out in the Phoenix night, leaving Haze with two gunshot wounds and the suspects fleeing.
Phoenix was a very small, tight knit community back then, and the downtown area of today is where most people lived. The Burch family lived a short distance from the shooting, and it was later found that the gunshots woke the family. Fellow officers quickly responded to find Haze wounded on the side of the road, he had emptied his revolver as the suspects fled the scene, but his rounds never found their mark. Haze was taken to a local hospital with a grim prognosis. While he was at the hospital, he was able to identify his assailants via a wanted
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