Where Is Sheriff Donny Youngblood Now? – The new documentary series “Killing Country” from Disney’s ABC News Studios looks into Bakersfield, a large metropolis in the center of California with the character of a little town where things are not always as they seem. The Ramirez family begins to doubt all they’ve ever known about their town after a horrific hotel shooting. They seek the truth out of desperation to learn what actually transpired to their loved one and soon discover they are not the only ones experiencing such agony. The three-part series tells a tale of deceit, cover-up, and unexpected events. Who do you turn to when the people who are meant to look out for and defend you are the ones you can’t trust?
In collaboration with Kaepernick Media, ABC News Studios produces “Killing County.” Executive producers include Colin Kaepernick of Kaepernick Media and Robe Imbriano of ABC News Studios. The series is narrated by André Holland.
On Thursday, January 26, 2023, this brand-new documentary series debuted on Hulu in the United States. Although a date for the foreign release has yet to be confirmed, many recent ABC News Studios programs have already been made available abroad on Disney+ as Star Originals.
Authorities wasted no time in fabricating Jorge Ramirez’s participation after he was killed during a sting operation by the same individuals he was trying to help. The Bakersfield Police Department in Bakersfield, California, where Ramirez lived and later passed away in September 2013, never gave his family the impression that they were being told the complete truth.
The Ramirez family leads us on a year-long odyssey in Hulu’s Killing County that eventually exposes numerous BPD cover-ups. The loss of their son was only the beginning. At the time, Sheriff Donny Youngblood oversaw the Kern County Sheriff’s Department. He was a holdover from an era that was swiftly passing away.
Sheriff Donny Youngblood is currently where? This is what we do know.
Where Is Sheriff Donny Youngblood Today?
Donny Youngblood is still serving as the sheriff of Kern County as of this writing. He was elected in 2006, according to his biography on the website of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and he keeps winning re-election despite the fact that his county has come under significant criticism for its police-related crimes.
The Guardian concluded that Kern County police officers were some of the “country’s deadliest” in December 2015 after conducting “a series of special reports, which is based on dozens of interviews, multiple hours spent with officers on patrol, and a review of thousands of documents obtained via public records requests and courthouse searches.” Jorge Ramirez’s murder was among them.
Sheriff Youngblood’s decision to speak with the Los Angeles Times in the spring of 2022 was motivated by ego or apathy. He was undoubtedly honest in his responses, though. Taxpayers have forked over more than $20 million in settlements for wrongful killings, strip searches in jails, and other misdeeds committed by Kern County deputies during his administration. Despite this, his position is still safe.
How does it feel to fail abruptly? Youngblood finished first in his most recent race, which is horrifying. Youngblood first draws attention to developments in Kern County that are more related to political views than crime statistics. “Conservative Republicans used to make up 70% of the population in Kern County. I estimate that it is currently 56 percent.”
The Los Angeles Times reports that Democrats are only two percentage points behind Republicans in Kern County, where “36 percent of registered voters are Republicans.” Additionally, he told the outlet it appears like cops are now issuing more fines while shooting fewer individuals.
Additionally, Youngblood was caught on camera telling an audience that “it was “absolutely” preferable scenario to kill a suspect than to disable them to save taxpayers millions of dollars in settlement” not too long ago, specifically in 2018. Youngblood only acknowledged that he could have “worded that better” when questioned about it.
Sheriff Youngblood doesn’t seem to be changing at all. Instead, he is compelled, like most old canines, to pick up new skills. We can only hope that one of them will fix Kern County.
Additionally, according to The Guardian’s research in 2015, “California’s justice department ha[d] announced a court-enforced reform settlement with the Bakersfield police department” in August 2021.
The Bakersfield police failed to consistently and effectively enforce the law, in part due to flawed or insufficient rules, methods, and processes, according to the state’s justice department. They also brought up the shocking use of force by department employees.
The BPD would be required to “revise its use-of-force guidance to focus its officers on de-escalation and proportionality; strengthen its use-of-force training for officers; strengthen investigations into officers’ use of force; and modify the use and training of police dogs” as a result of this consent-decree decision.
Must Read: Hulu’s Killing County: Jorge Ramirez Murder – Did His family Get Justice?