BAKERSFIELD Calif. (KGET) — You may or may not have had a chance to watch “Killing County,” but a few people have the Bakersfield Police Department and the Ramirez family, whose son’s death is one of the series focuses.
However, their response to the docuseries is very different.
The series examines police violence in Kern County, interviewing the families of victims who died at the hands of police. Including the family of Jorge Ramirez Jr., a police informant fatally shot by officers in 2013 after leading police to a parolee. Leaving his father, Ramirez Sr., not to trust law enforcement in Kern County since that tragic day nearly ten years later.
“My loss is my loss, and I have to live with it forever because they made the wrong decision,” said Ramirez.
The Bakersfield Police Department did not participate in the series.
A spokesperson told 17 news the department declined because they were “concerned with the objectivity of the docuseries.”
Releasing a statement after the premiere of “Killing County” that “while there are statistical and actual inaccuracies in the docuseries”, they “have compassion for the families affected.” Yet Ramirez doesn’t believe it.
“Everything that you see in there is real facts […] For them to feel sympathy for me, I don’t need their sympathy what I need is for them to step up and own up to what they’ve done to our loved ones, not just my son but many others in this community that’s why I’m passionate today to still continue the fight,” said Ramirez.
The Bakersfield Police Department is launching a transparency portal to provide access to the public to investigations and use of force data.
However, Ramirez told 17 news that is not enough and that he will continue to fight for action against police corruption until change happens.
