Gay former Healdsburg police chief Kevin Burke dies
Kevin Burke, the gay former police chief of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, has died, officials said. He was 55. Burke had led the town's police department since 2010 and, after announcing his retirement in November 2021, had only recently withdrawn from the race for Sonoma County Sheriff because of health concerns.
The retired chief was found dead April 5 in his Healdsburg home after a friend had reported not being able to contact him, according to a story in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.
Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A note was found nearby.Burke, a native of nearby St.
Helena, was a veteran police officer but began his legal career as a prosecutor in Orange County after graduating from UC Berkeley.
