Holly MatkinDouglas County, OR – Retired Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Deputy Stanley “Allen” Burdic died in the line of duty on March 11 due to complications from a gunshot wound he suffered while responding to a report of a shooting over 40 years ago.
Deputy Burdic, 65, passed away at his home, The News-Review reported.
He was 25 years old and had been serving the DCSO for just over one year when he received a report of a shooting at the Nutshell Tavern in Myrtle Creek on Aug. 12, 1980, according to the paper.
Early the next morning, Deputy Burdic spotted the suspect at a gravel turnout near Interstate 5 north of the Myrtle Creek Bridge, The News-Review reported.
The shooter, convicted felon Jack Flack, opened fire on the young deputy, hitting him twice.
After shooting Deputy Burdic, Flack stole his patrol vehicle and ran over the wounded deputy’s legs as he sped off, The News-Review reported.
Flack was later apprehended and convicted of first-degree assault, attempted murder, being an ex-convict in possession of a firearm, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, according to the paper.
He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Deputy Burdic suffered multiple injuries during the violent attack, The News-Review reported.
One of the rounds that hit him damaged his spine, leaving him with partial paralysis in one arm, a permanent limp, and severe chronic pain that lasted the rest of his life.
His injuries forced him to medically retire from the DCSO in 1982, The News-Review reported.
Prior to joining the DCSO, Deputy Burdic served the Canyonville Police Department (CPD) from October of 1976 until he joined the sheriff’s office in July of 1979.
He was briefly able to return to the CPD as a police officer in July of 1984, but retired from law enforcement for good in November of the following year.
“Deputy Burdic’s sacrifice while in service to the citizens of Douglas County, no matter the span of time between the shooting and his death, cannot go unmentioned,” Douglas County Sheriff Jon Hanlin said in a statement, according to The News-Review. “We will honor him, his family and his memory and never forget what happened to this deputy on Aug. 13, 1980.”
He leaves behind his wife, Erlah, and his son, Chris, The News-Review reported.
Deputy Burdic was laid to rest on April 17.
GLFOP: 🔹 Blessed Are The Peacemakers 🔹
Deputy Sheriff Stanley "Allen" Burdic
Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Oregon
EOW: Thursday, March 11, 2021#EnoughIsEnough #OfficerDown #EOW #ThinBlueLine pic.twitter.com/q0ICU6XaVa
— SCFOP Lodge #31 (@scfop_31) April 20, 2021
Rest In Peace: Deputy Stanley "Allen" Burdic. Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Oregon. End of Watch March 11, 2021. @DouglasCoSO @PoliceOne @ODMP #BlueLivesMatter #officerdown pic.twitter.com/APtk5Na3cC
— R Cook (@retiredNCSHP) April 20, 2021
Deputy Sheriff Stanley Burdic died as the result of complications of gunshot wounds sustained on August 12th, 1980, while responding to a shooting in Myrtle Creek. pic.twitter.com/aIBbhy6ddf
— ATF Houston (@ATFHou) April 20, 2021
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Stanley “Allen” Burdic, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
Sandy Malone
