John Burns, former Jefferson County Sheriff, dead at 62
WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Former Jefferson County Sheriff John Burns died at his home Thursday.
He was 62.
Burns died at his home on Failing Shores Road in the Town of Lyme. Officials said Burns died of apparent natural causes.
In a statement, Sheriff Colleen O’Neill said she “regretfully shares the sad news that former Sheriff John P. Burns passed away at his home earlier today.”
“Our hearts and prayers are with John’s family and those who worked with and for him. He was a community-minded public servant who dedicated a career to protecting and serving the residents of Jefferson County.”
Sheriff Burns began his career of public service in February of 1983. Among other assignments, he was promoted to Detective and served on the Metro-Jefferson Narcotics Task Force. He was elected Sheriff in 2002, leading the Sheriff’s Office for 12 years before retiring in 2014.
He was the son of Karl and Rosemary Burns. Karl Burns was mayor of Watertown in the 1970s and early 1980s and Jefferson County legislator Scott Gray - who chaired the legislature’s finance committee when Burns was sheriff - recalled John Burns Thursday as “a lot like his father. He cared deeply about the community.”
“He was a good cop.”
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