Deadly Force

"A gripping and persuasive investigation...chilling"
a film by Richard Cohen

On the morning of August 4, 1977, Sgt. Kurt Barz of the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart Division stopped his car to investigate Ron Burkholder, a naked unarmed man on a Los Angeles street corner.
Within two minutes, Burkholder lay dead, shot six times.

The use of 'deadly force' is a recurring and divisive issue in communities across the nation. This powerful and provocative documentary examines police accountability for civilian fatalities by zeroing in on a case that rocked city hall, stirred national press and resulted in the re-writing of gun policy for LAPD officers.

Deadly Force follows the Burkholder killing through a coroner's inquest and investigation by the district attorney's office. It provides telling insights into the conflicting views of police officials who defend the use of deadly force in dangerous situations and Burkholder's friends and relatives who charge authorities with engineering a cover-up.

"A gripping and persuasive investigation...really a troubling,
thoughtful inquiry into the wider subject of police brutality and the whole
relationship between society and its custodians of order.
...Chilling, real-life replicas of the political thriller "Z" ."
Tom Shales, THE WASHINGTON POST

"Fascinating and provocative.  Rivals any detective drama
you've ever seen.  Remarkably done."
Dick Brill, SAN FRANCISCO PROGRESS

"Extremely thought provoking"
CHOICE

"Shocking impact"
Zena Jones, San Francisco Bay Guardian

"A major contribution to the discussion and debate in this
highly explosive area...powerful."
Lee Weinberg, Professor of Legal Studies & Administration of Justice, 
University of Pittsburgh

"Unsettling ...one of the most sensational shootings in recent
Los Angeles history ...tough, probing questions."
--Joel Sappell, investigative reporter,
LOS ANGELES HERALD EXAMINER

Hound Dog Films, 1980.  60 minutes  black & white

Produced with grants from the American Film Institute,
and the Television Lab at WNET Channel 13. 
Broadcast on PBS's Non Fiction Television.

Awards: Athens International Film and Video Festival, Houston Film Festival, Sinking Creek Film Celebration