In shocking news out of the US, Californian rapper Willie Bo, real name Willie McCoy, has been shot to death by six police officers who allegedly opened fire on the MC after he was found sleeping in his car.
As The Guardian reports, 20-Year-Old McCoy was snoozing in a Taco Bell car park in Vallejo, north of San Francisco, when staff called 911 to report a man “slumped over” in the driver’s seat.
According to a police statement, they found the young hip-hop artist “unresponsive” with a “handgun on his lap”, with the car doors locked and the engine running.
The cops then called for back-up (???), alleging that McCoy “suddenly” moved, “quickly [moving] his hands downward for the firearm” despite them yelling at him to “keep his hands visible”.
All six cops then opened fire on the rapper, offloading “multiple rounds” out of “fear for their own safety”.
It’s not known how many bullets his McCoy, but he died at the scene.
McCoy’s family are understandably distraught and outraged, dubbing it a case of racial profiling.
McCoy’s tragic slaying follows a number of scandals over police treatment of dark-skinned people in Vallejo, with multiple videos of alleged brutality going viral.
The rapper’s cousin David Harrison tells The Guardian: “No one trusts the police in Vallejo. We are being targeted … Police have a campaign of executing young black men who fit a certain profile. Willie dressed the part. He represents hip-hop music. They are profiled.”
An internal police investigation is now underway, with McCoy’s family calling for the officers involved to face criminal charges.
