Chris Burrous Left Big Shoes To Fill at KTLA-TV

Los Angeles, CA--While TV news is dying nearly everywhere, the late KTLA-TV weekend morning anchor, Chris Burrous found better ways to reach the audience. 

What made Burrous rock was his fearless attitude about broadcasting his way, always departing from the routine.  He was a TV Maverick that truly knew how to have fun.  

Burrous has proven his news reporting chops on so many high profile stories.  But there was always so much more for him to deliver to the audience! 

Rather than accept reality that few newsworthy things happen on the weekend, he used exceptional creativity to fill a five-hour show! 

Burrous often, brought the normally unseen weekend KTLA production crew into the studio.  

Burrous encouraged everyone connected to the show to simply relax and show his or her human side.  

There was much more on display than sterile anchors and a plastic studio set to see.  Burrous gave viewers real warmth as he made his own vulnerabilities acceptable! 

With Burrous there was real interaction with viewers as he merged their, e-mails, photos, tweets and fun into the broadcasts.  

Burrous really deserves a posthumous star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame! 

Broadcasters that try to copy Burrous will fail.  They should take a cue from him and many of the successful Internet vloggers that simply refuse to follow the very stale TV template of Murrow and Cronkite.  They need to create their own brands.

Let me say that the rest of the weekend morning show talent has likewise always delivered their fair share to the show.  

The void of Burrous leaves KTLA  is huge.  However, the show must go on!  

I expect great things from KTLA-TV News Director, Jason Ball.  Please let the unpredictable adventure continue. 

I always say, being number one is never enough.  

Apparent Drug Overdose Fells Popular and Talented Los Angeles KTLA-TV News Anchor.

Chris Burrous, 43

Glendale, CA—Yesterday afternoon fire and police officials responded to the Days Inn Motel here after being called.  Reportedly KTLA-TV newsman, Chris Burrous, 43 was found un-responsive in a room there.  He was present in the room with a currently unidentified man that supposedly had unsuccessfully performed CPR on Burrous. 

Glendale Police and the LA County Medical Examiner are investigating this death as a potential accidental overdose.  It will take perhaps several weeks to obtain the results of toxicological tests that will identify any drugs involved.  

This death has shattered KTLA-TV, their workers and viewers to the very core. All are mourning the loss of a very unique and bright TV personality of this or any market.

Is this yet another tragic example of the Opioid Crisis?  Who supplied the drugs and how will this shake out in the Criminal Justice System?  

Will we learn the name and history of Burrous’ afternoon rendezvous and motel male roommate?  

Burrous leaves behind a beautiful wife and pre-teen daughter. They will have to deal with the shame involved with the apparent illicit conduct of a husband and father.  Los Angeles society has managed to somehow legitimize Gay sex and drug abuse so that stigma will be reduced.

Undoubtedly his family may also suffer financially over their loss.  I, for one want to morn the loss of his very likable public persona rather than his failings.  

The lesson here is, that his family, co-workers and television viewers really loved this fellow.  He let them all down and lost his charmed life apparently due to bad choices.  

Using drugs properly prescribed by physician caries a genuine risk. Ingesting or injecting drugs from criminal sources always invites poverty, pain and death. 

Recreational drug abuse now kills more people that both automobile accidents and gun related deaths combined. 

Ventura County Sheriff Must End the Cover Up Now!

The Borderline Bar Mass Murder Cover Up Continues!

Thousand Oaks, CA—The November 8^th   massacre  of college kids and a Sheriff’s sergeant by a crazed gunman still generates many more questions than answers.  

It’s now more than obvious that the answers will have to be forcibly extracted from the officials by legal process and court orders. 

Right now, lawyers helping victims face a solid stonewall as far as getting enough information to even file lawsuits. Legal authority is required to open the reports, surveillance video and evidence for inspection.  

The lawyers must sue before they can obtain subpoenas or any discovery material.  However they can’t sue without having a proper theory as to negligence or some other tort claim.  With the records locked up so tight, justice may never be done. 

The first obvious liability target is the Borderline Bar and Grill itself.  We know that those people injured were not shot.  Due to inadequate emergency exits those fleeing the gunman had to break windows and jump a dozen feet or so to the ground that was covered with broken glass. People suffered nasty injuries simply trying to get away to safety.  The people shot and killed by the gunman definitely had no clear way to escape!

The entire property including its parking area was quickly surrounded with a tall, opaque green fence and 24/7 security to keep lawyers and their investigators from discovering and documenting the serious lack of viable emergency exits.  

Did local government officials enable and accommodate the crazed gunman’s death trap through shoddy safety inspections of the property?  

Will they destroy evidence before the fence comes down?  Will they simply demolish the club to avoid liability claims?

Next, what was the role of the at least eight cops both armed and unarmed that were inside the club that clearly never challenged the gunman?  Case law has long ago established that cops have no legal duty to protect anyone. Perhaps they do have a duty to arrest, disable or kill a murderer engaged in his crime.  That’s one for the lawyers to figure out. 

We know that the surveillance video will tell the real story of this holocaust.  Not only has the Sheriff refused to release them his office won’t even reveal what they contain. 

Everyone loves a hero like, Sergeant Ron Helus.  Nobody loves a coward.  Apparently those cops that were socializing in the club that night were beyond a disappointment.  

People close to the investigation told me that some were armed and still were simply too afraid to confront the gunman.  

Again the surveillance video will tell the story of both the heroes and cowards.  I say the video must be released at least to the victims, their families and the media. 

The chips must fall where the may.  Remember the crime is always in the cover up!

Borderline Bar and Grill Sheriff's Sergeant Killed by Friendly Fire!

Thousand Oaks, CA—Exactly one month to the day, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayob and his PR department held a press conference to release some “new” details.  In reality those details were not so new since a small 5.56 MM projectile was removed from the body of Sergeant Ron Helusduring unsuccessful emergency surgery.  

Since they knew immediately that Ian David Long,the shooter was only armed with a .45 automatic Glock pistol and only the police were using Ar-15 style rifles capable of discharging the 5.56 MM rounds.  They did learn definitively from the FBI laboratory that the round came from a CHP officer’s rifle.  This was and is beyond humiliating as well as epically tragic.  I don’t envy these fellows that had the duty to let this troubling cat out of the bag. 

I did not make things easier for them when I asked about several off duty officers from at least three departments socializing in the Borderline club that were disarmed by a failed public policy.  The answer they provided was skewed with a response that off duty cops aren’t required to carry off duty like it was their own choice!  

They wanted no part of my follow up questions on that hot potato topic! One thing for sure, if one or more of the off duty cops were armed, Ian David Long would have been taken out well before so many, including Sgt. Helus were murdered.  

I asked about surveillance video from inside the club during the shooting.  They admitted that had the video but flat out refused to say what was caught on tape! 

This was nothing more than another epic failure involving a Gun Free Zone.  Off camera, I was told this was a political issue! I countered it was a public safety and survival issue.  One thing for sure, toughening this venue and other soft targets was apparently not on anyone’s agenda.  

Oh, when will we ever learn?