BODYCAM: High Risk Traffic Stop Of Possible Murder Suspect In Bakersfield

Earlier this week, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office sent out a press release regarding a cell phone video being shared on social media, showing Sheriff’s Office deputies conducting a high-risk traffic stop.

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The Sheriff’s Office conducted an internal review of the incident, as we do any time a member of the community has questions or concerns with how an incident was handled. To provide further transparency, the Sheriff’s Office is now sharing body-worn camera video of the traffic stop.

Please note, the audio and video has been edited to redact the face and name of the person involved. The edits do not affect the depiction of events presented in this video.

Please see below for the full press release, initially sent on June 29, 2021.

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The Kern County Sheriff’s Office is aware of a cell phone video being circulated on social media, showing Sheriff’s Office deputies conducting a high-risk traffic stop.

KCSO would like to provide more information and context to the facts surrounding this video and the events leading up to the traffic stop.
For background, on April 29, 2021, the Bakersfield Police Department responded to a victim of a shooting in the 100 block of H Street. Officers located the victim with a gunshot wound to the back. BPD issued a warrant for the arrest of the suspect, Andrew Ward, for attempted murder.

On June 23, 2021, at approximately 6:49 p.m., a metro-patrol Sergeant, who was formerly assigned to the gang unit and had prior contacts with Ward, was in the area of North Chester Avenue and Merle Haggard Drive, an area that Ward is known to frequent. The Sergeant located a man, who very closely resembled Ward. The Sergeant believed the man in question was Ward based on appearance and the area he was located in.

Andrew Ward is a black male, age 27, 5’10” and 165 lbs. The man located by the Sergeant is a black male, age 28, 6’0” and 150 lbs. Both men have black hair and brown eyes, short haircuts, mustaches, and beards.

The Sergeant followed the vehicle which was occupied by the man to the parking lot of a Walmart on North Chester Avenue. Because the firearm used in the shooting on April 29 was not located at the scene and was still outstanding at the time of this traffic stop, the Sergeant believed the man in the vehicle was armed. Therefore, other units arrived at that time, including canine units, to assist.

Per standard practice when a suspect is believed to be armed and believed to have committed a violent offense such as attempted murder, deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop which requires deputies’ guns be drawn as they order the driver out of the vehicle.

The man cooperated with deputies, and gave consent to search his vehicle for a firearm. Once the search was complete, and deputies confirmed the driver of the vehicle was not the wanted suspect, they released him. The man also spoke with additional Sheriff’s Office personnel who answered any questions he had about the investigation and why he was stopped.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office has reviewed the video and is conducting an internal review of the incident, as we do any time a member of the community has questions or concerns with how an incident was handled.

When conducting a search for a suspect, especially for a crime as serious as attempted murder, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office takes numerous factors into consideration. Every investigation is different and handled on a case-by-case basis. The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the public for assisting in our common goal of solving these crimes and keeping the community safe.

At this time, Andrew Ward is still at-large and should be considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him. Anyone with information is urged to contact KCSO at (661) 861-3110, Bakersfield Police at (661) 327-7111, or Secret Witness at (661) 322-4040. - ThisIsButter

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