Demonstrators hope series sparks change in policing
The release of the docuseries “Killing County” — chronicling killings by police and deputies — injected new life into calls by Bakersfield families for accountability from law enforcement.
Family and friends demonstrated Tuesday along Rosedale Highway during rush hour traffic to capitalize on the buzz generated by the three-part series released Friday on Hulu. The documentary’s release on a national platform allowed them to once again point out potential police shortcomings, as some families have done for years.
“Now that (the Hulu series is) in their living room, we need people to be more than just angry,” said former Faith in the Valley leader Joey Williams, who’s in the documentary and held a sign Tuesday. “We need them to take action.”
Many families want an independent review of officers’ actions that led to the deaths of the people portrayed in the documentary and others. No officers have faced criminal charges in connection to those five deaths, and often their actions were ruled within department policy.
A settlement will never bring back Ronnie “Pops” Ledesma Jr., who died after deputies beat him, his daughter said Tuesday while demonstrating on Rosedale under a billboard promoting “Killing County.” This case is not examined in the documentary, but Ledesma’s death happened soon after Kern County sheriff’s deputies beat and allegedly hogtied David Silva, who died. Silva’s case is explored in the documentary.
“When will it stop?” daughter Adriana Ledesma wondered. “What’s it gonna take for this stuff to stop?”
Her father died nine days after deputies beat him with a baton, put him into a “control hold” and a K9 bit him, according to The Californian’s previous reporting. Deputies went to a Walgreens on Mount Vernon Avenue for reports of a man “acting strangely” and potentially intoxicated by drugs, previous reporting said.
A preliminary coroner’s report showed the father had PCP, amphetamines and Benzodiazapine in his system, previous reporting said.
Adriana Ledesma added the drug intake doesn’t paint an accurate picture of her father, who was a loving man. And, she added, everyone has struggles — couldn’t there have been
alternative methods used to subdue her father?
“Ever since this happened, our family is not the same,” she said.
When Adriana Ledesma found out she was pregnant, she started crying because her dad would never get to meet her child. Her older child would often say his grandpa visited him in dreams while he slept.
“He’s like ‘Papa lives in my heart,’” Ledesma said, as she wiped tears from her face.
Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood decided not to watch the documentary and texted The Californian Monday that he didn’t see a purpose to commenting.
The Bakersfield Police Department wrote in a statement upon the release of “Killing County” that its force aims to provide “professional and compassion- ate” services to this community.
BPD also claimed the documentary was riddled with “statistical and factual inaccuracies” and the public should form its own opinion once the department releases a transparency portal.
Many cars whizzed by, honking their horns repeatedly as others glanced curiously at the group of about 30 people. Children not yet teenagers held up signs depicting a family member who died and demanding justice.
“What do we want?” Williams called out as the sun set behind them.
“Justice!” demonstrators screamed.
“When do we want it?” Williams yelled.
“Now!” many shouted, their voice cutting through cars roaring past.
Williams said Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer works hand-in-hand with authorities and therefore doesn’t have an independence to consider criminal review of police shootings.
“They barbecue together,” Williams said. “Nobody wants their friends to go to jail.”
He called on the federal government to also see if civil rights violations happened in Kern County and implored families hurt by law enforcement to write to the Biden administration.
Asked if change is hopeless, Williams pointed to changing demographics of Kern County and passage of progressive policies like local ballot Measure L. Local voters approved amending Bakersfield’s city charter to allow a police chief to be chosen from outside Bakersfield rather than only internally.
“We have governing power,” Williams said. “But we just got to seize it. It’s value-based, not partisan.”