[2/20/19] – Aspiring Rapper Willie McCoy Fatally Shot by California Police

Willie McCoy, a twenty-year old aspiring rapper, was fatally shot by police while sleeping in his car in the parking lot of a Northern California Taco Bell on February 9, 2019. The Vallejo Police Department has placed the six police officers involved in the shooting on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. The incident highlights the ongoing issues regarding police and citizen interactions, racial profiling, and the use of excessive force by law enforcement officials.

Instructors, click on the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt, a debate question, as well as other assessment questions.

Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Aspiring Rapper Willie McCoy Fatally Shot by California Police

 

 

 

Articles:

• “Family says aspiring rapper shot to death by Bay Area cops was sleeping,” Los Angeles Times

 

• “Six California officers fire shots at rapper who had been asleep in car, killing him,” The Guardian

 

• “An Aspiring Rapper Who Was Asleep Inside His Car Was Shot and Killed by California Police,” Buzzfeed News

 

• “6 California Officers Fatally Shoot Rapper at Taco Bell Drive-Thru,” The Huffington Post

 

• “In a first, FBI to begin collection national data on police use of force,” CBS News

 

Assessment

• Writing: What has contributed to the distrust of law enforcement officials across the country?
• Debate: Willie McCoy was racially profiled.
• Poll: Do you believe that the police officers involved in the shooting of Willie McCoy were justified in using deadly force?
• Short Answer: What constitutes excessive use of force?

 

Current Events Quiz

1. According to the Vallejo police department and witnesses, Willie McCoy was _____ shortly before he was confronted by police officers.

a. sleeping in his car

b. brandishing a firearm in front of bystanders

c. preparing to rob to the Taco Bell

d. on the phone while sitting in his car

 

2. According to the police department, Willie was in the possession of ______.

a. narcotics

b. open alcohol containers

c. a handgun

d. explosive materials

 

3. The police officers involved in the shooting have been ______.

a. fired

b. placed on administrative leave

c. cleared of any wrongdoing

d. asked to resign from their positions

 

4. The Willie McCoy shooting is not the first incident that has highlighted issues within the Vallejo Police Department. (T/F)

 

5. The reports have found that Willie was shot more than twenty times in the incident. (T/F)

 

6. Willie McCoy was awake when he was fatally shot. (T/F)

 

Featured Image: iStock.com/Xtremest