What happened to Willie McCoy?

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Willie McCoy, also known as Willie Bo, was an American rapper. On February 9, 2019, McCoy was killed by six police officers in Vallejo, California. 

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McCoy lost both parents to cancer by the time he was 12 years old. He did well at sports in school, and earned his GED before dropping out to pursue music. Collaborators noted his work ethic and desire to succeed. Under the stage name Willie Bo, he was part of the group FBG (Forever Black Gods), performing songs about what NBC News described as "money, guns, and street violence," which a collaborator suggested was because "they needed to conform their lyrics, to look cool. I saw it more as a cool thing — kids see you on YouTube like you have all this money." Other lyrics related to overcoming challenges, such as growing up without a father. On Wednesday, April 11, 2018, Willie McCoy was arrested for kidnapping and human trafficking by San Francisco police; Oakland police subsequently served a search warrant on Willie McCoy's residence, seizing "numerous" firearms. It is unclear what McCoy's role was in the theft of a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun he was carrying when he died. 

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Around 10:30 pm February 9, 2019, McCoy was found unconscious at the drive-thru of a Vallejo, California Taco Bell, in his car, with a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun, while the engine was running and the car in drive. A Taco Bell employee called 911, informing the dispatcher that McCoy (who was not identified by name at this point) was unresponsive to people knocking on the car's window or honking their car horns. Six police officers arrived, and activated their bodycams.  

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The bodycam video and audio, which the police published March 30, 2019, showed that, for several minutes, officers with guns raised conversed next to McCoy's car while he was unconscious. The footage shows that the officers then decided to open the door to retrieve the alleged gun and remove McCoy from the car, but found the door locked and so instead attempted to block McCoy's car in the drive-thru. After some minutes, McCoy scratched his shoulder, though there is no indication he was alert or aware of his surroundings at this time. 

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McCoy then moved in a manner that was interpreted by the Vallejo Police Department as "hand reaches to gun on lap". The Guardian stated that the videos at that point are "blurry" and "show McCoy’s body moving slightly, but do not capture his hand moving to the firearm, which is not visible in the footage. The New York Times said, "The footage showed that Mr. McCoy appeared to be asleep for at least several minutes, and that he was shot about 10 seconds after he began to move. It was unclear whether he was reaching for a gun."  

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According to the bodycam footage and witness footage, officers then yelled at McCoy, through the closed car window, to put his hands up, and fired at him less than three seconds later. The six officers fired 55 rounds at McCoy over approximately four seconds, before again telling McCoy to put up his hands. McCoy was pronounced dead at the scene. 

 

What can we do?

 

1. Share his story

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2. Contact the Vallejo police department (707) 648-4321 demanding the six officers responsible for willies death are fired.  

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3. Contact Vallejo CA district attorney Krishna Abrams, demanding the six officers responsible for Willies death are prosecuted. (707) 553-5321