After the death of rapper Willie Bo, officials in Vallejo, California have asked the Department of Justice to help reform the relationship between officers and the public.
What We Know:
- On February 9, 2019 California rapper Willie Bo, legal name Willie McCoy, was shot and killed in his car by Vallejo city police officers. The rapper reportedly fell asleep in his car in a Taco Bell drive thru. Police arrived after an employee called and reported the situation.
- Officers approached the vehicle while McCoy was unresponsive and slumped over with a handgun lying across his lap. The four officers shot into the car 25 times, killing him on sight. The death of McCoy marked the 16th death in eight years involving Vallejo police officers.
- According to police records, Black and Latino men are the main ones killed by the city’s police force. After an intense City Council meeting, City Manager Greg Nyhoff invited the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service to help the city get to a better place. Members of the community complained that the city wasn’t listening to them or the family members of those who were killed by city police.
- Vallejo is not alone in regards to cities that need Federal assistance. Neighboring California cities that have also brought attention to the need for change with their own statistics. San Francisco’s police department has been involved in 22 fatal shootings in the past eight years.
The residents are asking for nothing more than justice and security in their community, and city officials ensure working with the Department of Justice will improve community and police engagement.
