"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of Eau Claire (WI) Police Officer Robert P. Bolton

When a domestic violence call came in from a women's shelter, Officer Bob Bolton responded. He was shot and killed by the suspect, but his story did not end with tragedy--in many ways it begins there.

Officer Robert P. Bolton

McLean, VA (February 24, 2026) - On October 6, 1982, Eau Claire (WI) Police Officer Robert “Bob” Bolton was shot and killed responding to a domestic violence call at the Refuge House women’s shelter. Officer Bolton was just 28 years old and was survived by his wife, Lynn, and two young children. But Bob Bolton’s story did not end with tragedy. His story has guided survivors to safety. His memory has shaped a community’s response to domestic violence. His legacy has inspired officers, advocates, and ordinary citizens for more than 40 years. His wife, Lynn BeBeau, went on to become the first national president of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), ensuring that no surviving family would ever walk alone. And in Eau Claire, his legacy took root in a profound way: five years after his death the Refuge House, the domestic-violence shelter where Officer Bolton lost his life, was renamed in his honor. Today the Bolton Refuge House, stands as a living testament to the idea that from the darkest moments, light can still emerge.

Listen to the podcast to hear the rest of the story: https://open.substack.com/pub/behindbadge/p/heroes-live-forever-the-story-of-3af?r