RICHMOND, Ind. – Two police departments in Indiana are remembering a pair of fallen officers with a friendly beard-growing wager.
For the months of November and December, the Elwood Police Department and the Richmond Police Department are competing in a Battle of the Beards promotion, the Richmond Palladium-Item reported.
Officers from both departments were given permission to grow facial hair to raise money for the families of Elwood police Officer Noah Shahnavaz and Richmond police Officer Seara Burton.
Money raised by Richmond officers will go to Shahnavaz’s family, while all proceeds collected by Elwood officers will be given to Burton’s family, the newspaper reported.
Shahnavaz was fatally shot on July 31, the Indianapolis Star reported. The 24-year-old had been with the department for less than a year when he was killed, according to the newspaper.
“Noah loved his job and excelled at it,” Elwood police Chief Jason Brizendine told the newspaper. “He was a little brother to the family at the Elwood Police Department.”
Burton, 28, a K-9 officer, died on Sept. 18 after being shot on Aug. 10, the Palladium-Item reported. She was taken off life support on Sept. 1 and transferred to hospice care two days later. Burton was shot at close range during a traffic stop, WTHR-TV reported.
She had been with the Richmond police force for four years, according to the Star. She was with K-9 Brev when she was critically injured during the traffic stop.
