Family Says 71-Year-Old Could Barely Hear, Demands Bodycam and LA Fitness Records

Michael Burns, 71, who family members called "Muscle Michael," was shot and killed by Carrollton police after a Josey Lane LA Fitness manager reported he took an inappropriate photo inside the gym, and the family now demands release of body-camera footage and LA Fitness records. Burns's sister told reporters, "He could barely hear with the hearing aids in," and relatives say that severe hearing loss explains why he did not respond to repeated commands.

City records show the initial LA Fitness contact came around 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 22 when a manager reported the incident at the gym. A heavily redacted Carrollton police report notes three officers arrived at Burns's home shortly before 9 p.m., and police say Burns emerged from the house holding a handgun. "Officers said they gave multiple commands to drop the weapon and opened fire when he pointed it at them," according to the police account summarized by authorities.

Family members dispute key aspects of the official summary and have pressed for additional evidence. In an email to a local station, a niece wrote, "My 71 year old uncle was SHOT by the carrollton police last night. However, in their police report- they completely forgot to mention that he was COMPLETLY DEAF and could not hear without hearing aids." Rozy Falcon, Burns's sister, described him in an email as a longtime sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous who had been sober for over 30 years and "a God-loving man, deeply responsible, including as a lawful gun owner, and someone who consistently showed up for others."

The police report provided to the family does not include the alleged photo from the gym and does not identify the responding officers, according to the redacted document. Carrollton police told reporters they did not know Burns was hearing-impaired before arriving at his home. Neighbor video captured after the shooting records officers shouting, "Michael, can you hear us?" while emergency personnel performed medical efforts; Carrollton Fire Rescue pronounced Burns dead at the scene.

Family lawyers and relatives have formally requested body-camera footage from the gym interaction and from the shooting, plus any LA Fitness surveillance video, membership records, staff incident reports, and the alleged photo that prompted the original complaint. LA Fitness has declined to comment about the allegation that sparked the call, and no bodycam footage or the alleged photo has been publicly released.

Burns had been an LA Fitness member since 2014 and, according to family accounts, volunteered mentoring inmates at the Dallas County Jail and was known locally as a "gentle giant" with a "servant's heart." With the police report redacted and key items unproduced, relatives and neighbors say transparency on the gym records, the photo, and the officers' bodycam footage is essential to understanding why three officers fired at a 71-year-old who relied on two hearing aids. Carrollton police have not released further details on officer identities, the number of officers who fired, or a timeline for making videos or records public.