The Kern County District Attorney is dismissing the charges filed against a black teenage woman who was mistaken for a black adult male suspect by Bakersfield Police.
Wednesday, District Attorney Lisa Green announced she would drop all charges filed against Tatyana Hargrove including resisting arrest and use of force against a police officer.
“In my opinion, after reviewing all the facts and legal principles I do not believe a jury would be able to find beyond a reasonable doubt that she was guilty of that charge. So for that reason, the charges are being dismissed,” Green says.
The arrest of Hargrove drew national attention because Hargrove is 5’2’’ and 115 pounds whereas the suspect was described as a 5’10’’ and 170-pound bald man. However, Green said today that at the time officers only knew they were looking for a black male suspect with a backpack.
Green says neither of the officers involved in the arrest will face any charges.
District Attorney Green says law enforcement in the county needs to ‘repair any damage’ to trust in law enforcement in minority communities caused by this case.
