Los Angeles Fire Fighter’s Photos of RFK Killer Released for First Time

Supporters of Robert F. Kennedy hold his head prior to a rescue ambulance taking him to the hospital.

Two men hold Sirhan-Sirhan down on a service table while trying to wrest the gun from his hand. Note that former Los Angeles Rams football player Rosie Greer (upper right) assists.

June 9, 2008 – On the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, retired Los Angeles Fire Captain Jim Perry released photos that were taken June 5, 1968, by Los Angeles fire fighter and fire department photographer Harold Burba just moments after Kennedy was shot during a presidential campaign speech at the Ambassador Hotel after winning the California primary.

Burba, who was in the Ambassador Hotel on assignment to photograph over-crowding conditions in the convention hall when he heard gunshots. He immediately started taking pictures of several men wrestling to take the gun from assassin Sirhan Sirhan.

The photos, which were sent to a Los Angeles grand jury on the morning after the assassination, have been in the Los Angeles Fire Department’s possession since 1968. Perry explains that Burba requested he not make the photos public until after his death. This is the first time any of the photos have been published.

This enlarged close-up shows Los Angeles Fire Department photographer Harold Burba directly in the line of fire while the gun is being taken from Sirhan’s grip.

Since telling the story and sharing the photos in the May-June 2008 edition of the Los Angeles Firefighter, Perry has received calls from media around the world. “I’ve waited a long time to tell this story and show the photos that I’ve had in my possession,” says Perry. “Burba’s unhesitating action under very dangerous conditions proved to be of great value in the People vs. Sirhan case.”

Burba retired from the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1969 after 27 years of active service. He received a special commendation from Los Angeles Fire Chief Raymond M. Hill for his actions at the Ambassador Hotel.