The police force in California is in hot water yet again, after several officers fired a barrage of shots at a vehicle, killing one man and injuring another woman.
According to The Guardian, Police in Barstow, CA, murdered 26-year-old Diante Yarber, and fired what witnesses say sounded like over 30 bullets at him while he was operating a vehicle. Yarber, who was reportedly unarmed, was driving his cousin and friends to Walmart on April 5th when police claim that they attempted to stop him after reports of a suspicious vehicle. Police alleged that Yarber was wanted for questioning in connection with a stolen vehicle case. Yarber was driving his cousin’s car at the time, which was never reported stolen.
San Bernardino County sheriff’s department claimed that Yarber reversed into a police vehicle, before accelerating to escape, which led officers to shoot at the car. The officers involved are on paid administrative leave. One woman who was in the vehicle was shot twice but survived while another young male passenger escaped without injury.
Shooting at moving vehicles, especially when there is no sign of danger, is against police policy. There are much more professional methods of stopping a vehicle when there have been no signs that the driver is armed or dangerous.
Dee Beasley is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of FreshAsFrankie.com. After starting out as a musician-producer he went on to study the music business and work in Urban Promotions, followed by artist management. Mr. Beasley entrepreneurial spirit has led him to launch numerous businesses in music and fashion marketing. He’s a huge fan of the ’80s and ’90s Hip Hop and R&B, and he’s a firm believer that Hip Hop Music will never die.