Skip navigation

MOBB United for Social Change Expects Justice for Augustus Crawford

On Saturday, November 4, 2017, Augustus Crawford was celebrating his son’s First Birthday. While Augustus was riding as a passenger in a car, two Bakersfield officers conducted a traffic stop.  During the stop Augustus began to run and the officers engaged in  foot pursuit.  During pursuit Crawford was fatally shot by Officer Warren Martin (the Son of Bakersfield Police Chief, Lyle Martin). 

According to police reports, Augustus was a suspect in a shooting that took place earlier that night.  Unfortunately, Crawford’s family has not received any answers detailing the events leading up to to the pursuit and subsequent shooting.  The FBI stated that a stolen gun was found “in the vicinity of Crawford’s route of travel” during the foot pursuit.  However, this in no justifies use of excessive force against Augustus. 

MOBB United for Social Change joins the family of Augustus Crawford in seeking justice.  The Crawford family needs answers about the specific incident leading to their son’s death (notably  an autopsy report).  We acknowledge Chief Martin’s recusing himself from the investigation, and request that this case be carefully reviewed.  The slow response by the Bakersfield police has left open several unanswered questions.  We recommend the Bakersfield police department initiate de-escalation and implicit bias training for all Bakersfield police officers to reduce future tragic incidents such as this one.

 

 

M.O.B.B. United for Social Change, Inc. is a nationwide coalition of moms who are dedicated to making the world a safer place for Black boys and men by eradicating harassment, brutality and unwarranted use of deadly force by law enforcement against our sons. The group was born out of frustration over the deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile in Minnesota and numerous other innocent Black boys and men killed by police before and after them. It has grown into a mobilized force of moms determined to make a difference. We aim to influence both policy and perception that impact how Black boys and men are treated by law enforcement.

Continue Reading

Read More