KCSO, Ridgecrest police rule shooting which killed man within department policy

The Bakersfield Californian
Updated ·2 min read
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Feb. 14—Kern County Sheriff's deputies and Ridgecrest Police officers ruled a shooting which killed a man within department policy, KCSO announced Tuesday.

A video released Tuesday also explained what led to the death of the man, who has been identified as Kenneth Dexter Watkins, 46. The video, uploaded to YouTube, included maps, body-worn camera footage, witness cell phone video and photos. Audio and footage had been edited to protect victim privacy, but that didn't affect how the events happened, the video states

Ridgecrest police received a call around 2:15 a.m. Jan. 3 about a suicidal man possibly armed with a gun, the video said.

"He says he wants to end it all," said a person who called 911, and whose audio was played in the footage. Deputies in the Ridgecrest substation also arrived to help the man who deputies said "had a firearm to his head."

Watkins also called 911 and said he was in distress and wanted to die. The dispatcher asked Watkins to put the gun down and step outside the vehicle he was in, but the man declined to get out of the car.

Footage shows Watkins walking around and saying that deputies should shoot him. Ridgecrest police attempted to persuade Watkins to put down the gun, but it didn't happen, the video said. Sheriff's deputies came around 2:35 a.m. to help police officers.

Attempts to ease Watkins happened for around 30 minutes, and led to Watkins raising his gun and pointing it at officers. That's when deputies and officers fired multiple times and killed Watkins, the video showed.

Deputies Jeffrey Ott and Jeffrey Portillo were put on administrative leave. Ridgecrest Police Officers Laura Kenney and Corey Rinaldi were also put on administrative leave until the investigation finished.