Kriti Mehrotra
With Hulu’s ‘Killing County’ living up to its title in every way imaginable, we get a true insight into the city of Bakersfield, California, which actually has “the deadliest law enforcement per capita.” This massive metropolis in the state’s heart may have the soul of a small town, yet the way it has carried itself over the past few years is nothing short of bewildering due to its police department. So now that this three-part original has exposed several interconnected tales regarding the same, let’s find out more about officers Aaron Stringer and Rick Wimbish, in particular, shall we?
Where is Aaron Stringer Now?
Although a 2009 Medal of Valor winner for saving his partner’s life during a shootout wherein they were both wounded, Aaron fell from grace rather quickly in 2014 once his misconduct came to light. After all, the then-35-year-old Senior Officer had not only tickled and manipulated Ramiro James Villegas’ corpse but also openly told his trainee that he “loves playing with dead bodies.” The truth is his 22-year-old victim had actually been shot dead by fellow policemen following a car chase on November 13, and he’d stroked him in the morgue upon securing the crime scene.
It has never been unusual for high-ranking officers to take rookies into hospitals after such incidents to educate them on every aspect, but they do have a single, clear rule of no touching. However, when showing his subordinate Ramino’s body, Aaron grazed his feet while saying “tickle, tickle,” pulled on his toes, moved his head, and then made the “playing” remark with a laugh. As if that’s not enough, he even joked about rigor mortis, making the trainee uncomfortable enough to report him to the higher-ups and get him placed on paid administrative leave by the 15th.
The fact Aaron had already been involved in the August 6, 2014, shooting death of 26-year-old Michael Dozer outside a gas station didn’t help his case either, especially as it was utterly needless. Therefore, once his actions against Ramino (aka James De La Rosa) were deemed undeniable, he was let go from the Bakersfield Police Department for good, with his last day being August 28, 2015. From what we can tell, the former cop has since preferred to stay well away from the spotlight, yet it’s highly probable he continues to reside around California alongside his family to this day.
Where is Rick Wimbish Now?
As a Bakersfield native through and through, Rick had reportedly followed in his father’s footsteps to join the police force almost as soon as he was able in the hopes of serving his hometown. But the truth is he has had a hand in at least four fatal shootings of unarmed men between 2013-2015, including that of Jorge Ramirez, Justin Harger, Ramiro James Villegas, and Adrian Hernandez. According to records, he’d deployed his taser in the Ramiro/James De La Rosa incident on November 13, 2014, whereas he’d actually opened fire in the Jorge and Justin case on September 16, 2013.
It thus comes as no surprise Rick has often been placed on leave, only to always be cleared of any wrongdoing on the grounds of reasonability — like his actions were justified in those moments. Therefore, from what we can tell through his limited online presence, he continues to reside in Bakersfield, California, and can still serve his city thanks to his nearly three decades of police experience. We should also mention that he appears to be a happily married family man who is seemingly perfectly content with both his personal as well as professional standing at the moment.
Read More: David Silva’s Death: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him?
