Allegations of widespread police brutality have dogged Kern County and its largest city, Bakersfield, for years. Numerous deaths of unarmed men — many of them people of color — have led to millions in lawsuit settlements and the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee policy changes at Bakersfield PD.
A new ABC/Hulu series explores the history of Kern County police killings in depth with an intimate look at the families forever changed by these tragedies. The documentary, Killing County, was co-produced by football player and activist Colin Kaepernick as well as attorney and Meidas Touch co-founder Ben Meiselas.
The allegations in this documentary are shocking and disturbing. One of the more sensational stories involves an officer accused of playing with a man’s corpse and even “tickling” his feet.
Officer-involved killings spotlighted in the three-part series include those of Jorge Ramirez Jr. (2013), David Silva (2013), James De La Rosa (2014), Jason Alderman (2015), and Francisco Serna (2016).
Watch the trailer for Killing County above.