We all know a city that has “mixed ratings.” Some people will say that they love living there and others will tell you that they fear for their lives just walking outside. You could live in a calm and quiet neighborhood that is known to be a safe place, but just around the corner, there is gang violence endangering the lives of innocent passersby.
While the image I just painted for you may sound oxymoronic, those who dwell in the small city of Bakersfield, California explain how this is their reality. Families come together to tell their stories in Hulu’s newly released miniseries, “Killing County.”
In this miniseries, the reputation of the Bakersfield police department is questioned as the show documents multiple situations concerning the department’s questionable actions. Residents of Bakersfield begin to sense that their police department does not truly have every resident’s best interests at heart.
The first story covered revolves around Jorge Ramirez Jr., a man well-loved by his family and community, who openly admitted to hanging around the wrong crowd. One of the members of said crowd, Justin Harger, committed an act out of jealousy that cost Jorge his life. Harger, while under the influence of methamphetamine, shot a man who was dating one of Harger’s ex-girlfriends out of envy. Following this act, Bakersfield police labeled Harger a wanted felon and were actively searching for him.
As his family later discovered, Jorge was actually an informant for the police and was helping them search for Harger. This alliance was what helped the police find Harger later on. The night the police found Harger, there was an ugly shoot-out that cost both the felon and Jorge their lives. The Ramirez family was heartbroken at the news as it demonstrates that the police had no concern about keeping Jorge safe — they would have Harger captured no matter the cost.
In another story, viewers learn about the almost random death of David Silva. Silva was a man who suffered multiple mental illnesses and was seeking help from a local health facility. The facility turned him away and told him to go elsewhere, but Silva had nowhere else to go.
Bakersfield police found Silva sleeping on the sidewalk, but believed he was unconscious. The police conducted a sternum rub, which, as an interviewee explained, is a pain-inducing mechanism used to identify whether or not someone is alive. Therefore, it should be no surprise to a trained police officer when someone who is alive reacts to such a technique. The officers who performed this technique took Silva’s reaction as resistance and fighting. This led to a total of eight police officers beating Silva. It even came to a point in which one officer brought in a canine, bringing an end to Silva’s life.
The purpose of this show is of course to highlight the carelessness of the Bakersfield Police and to bring awareness to the topic of police brutality — a subject that has been heavily publicized over the past few years.
There are only three episodes in this series, but there is a load of information to unpack from them. Every story is tragically tied to the police department’s all-too-quick temper and rage. I recommend the series to anyone looking to be further educated on police brutality or just become more aware of its activity across the nation. If anyone has suffered a loss due to police brutality, the intensity of the “Killing County” testimonies may be too emotionally straining. Every story will leave you with the same question: “but why?”
Rating: 5/5
Yea I was beat UP several times by Bakersfield PD
Great docuseries with important points all residents should be aware of.