Dominguez Hills Mourns Death of Compton Officer : Violence: Former Toro basketball player Kevin Burrell, who was shot Monday night, is remembered for wanting to return to help his community.

On Tuesday morning, when Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball Coach Dave Yanai heard that Kevin Burrell, a Compton police officer, had been shot to death in the line of duty, he felt the loss of a family member.

“It was a stunning kind of thing,” Yanai said. “You just have such an empty feeling that you’ve lost one of your own.”

Burrell, 29, was one of two Compton police officers shot and killed in a storm of gunfire late Monday night. The 6-foot-7 Burrell, who completed his basketball career at Dominguez Hills in 1985, had joined the 127-member department as 15-year-old Explorer Scout and became a full-time officer in 1988.

“He would come by often and he always spoke to our kids,” Yanai said. “He was a regular here. He would even come down during preseason and take part in preseason workouts with our guys.”

Burrell was a three-year starter at center for the Toros. He was an honorable mention All-California Collegiate Athletic Assn. selection as a sophomore in 1982-83 and an All-CCAA first-team selection as a junior and senior.

During his senior season, Burrell was an NCAA Division II All-West Region pick who led the Toros in scoring (14 points a game), rebounding (8.1), blocked shots and steals. He ranks among the school’s top six players in career points and rebounding.

Yanai says Burrell’s playing weight of 270 pounds often fooled opponents.

“He was a real big guy and very deceptive,” Yanai said. “Other teams thought he was a butterball and the next thing you know he’s taking over the game. He was a very agile athlete. Very big, but very quick feet.”

John Nojima was the Toros’ starting point guard during Burrell’s freshman and junior seasons. He remembers Burrell as an easygoing, positive guy who inspired people around him.

“He was meaner on the court, but off the court he was a teddy bear,” Nojima said. “He was a hard nose and tough player, but I never really saw him mad or angry or bad-mouth anybody.”

Nojima, an attorney, canceled a Tuesday court appearance after hearing Burrell had been shot to death.

“When I heard it was him I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I was in shock. I stared out the window for a while then I ended up at Dominguez Hills. We just talked about how sad it was and that they always take the good ones. Kevin was nothing but a positive role model for everyone.”

Burrell grew up in Compton and planned to become a Compton police officer early on, according to Dan Guerrero, who was the Toro associate athletic director when Burrell played at the school.

“When he talked to me about going into law enforcement, we talked about all the options he had in that field,” said Guerrero, who also taught one of Burrell’s administration classes and later became the school’s athletic director. “There was the sheriff, LAPD. . . His response was, ‘I want to go back to Compton.’ ”

Burrell worked the night shift and often dropped by Dominguez Hills home basketball games in uniform. Yanai, in his 16th season as coach, says it was always good to see Burrell.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had an athlete I’ve enjoyed coaching or being around more than Kevin,” Yanai said. “He was a marvelous athlete that could do great things, but what sticks out most is the kind of person he was.

“As big as he was physically, his heart was just as big, if not bigger. I don’t remember a day when he was not smiling.”

There will be a moment of silence in Burrell’s memory before the Toros’ home game against Chapman College on Saturday.

“He had a great heart,” said Guerrero, now the UC Irvine athletic director. “He always brought out the best in everyone.”