‘Sad day’: Mother marks 30 years since son, other officer killed in line of duty

Two Charlotte police officers were killed in the line of duty 30 years ago.

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“It’s sad. It’s sad. Tomorrow is a sad day,” said Trisha Norket, the mother of fallen Officer John Burnette. “All these years, I think about John every day, because God has brought more people in my life.”

Burnette and Officer Andy Nobles were two of the first community policing officers in the city.

They worked in Boulevard Homes off West Boulevard in west Charlotte where there are two streets named after them.

“John loved that place,” Norket said. “He loved those people.”

On Oct. 5, 1993, they were chasing a car thief. They caught the suspect and tried to take him into custody, but the criminal disarmed one of the officers and shot and killed them both with one of their service weapons.

Alden Hardin was arrested later that day. He was convicted and has spent the last 30 years on death row.

Norket is not waiting for that sentence to be carried out.

“You know what, it doesn’t matter to me,” Norket said. “It dosen’t matter to me. He has to live with what he did, and I have already forgiven him.”

Norkett has an extended law enforcement family. She used to attend every graduation.

However, Norkett doesn’t get around like she used to because she fell and injured her back.

Norkett recalls her son surprising family members about becoming a police officer.

She is convinced that is what God wanted him to do with his life.

Norkett said she would see him again, and she hopes that Hardin will get his life together.

“I think it would be awesome,” she said. “I really would like to speak to him. I would have loved to have a chance to do that but didn’t and I probably won’t ever. But you know what, I have forgiven him.”

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