Protester Struck And Killed on Street At Night, Black Neighborhood Wants To Lynch White Driver, Seems To Have Been An Accident

On Wednesday, June 3, an African-American man among a group of demonstrators was hit by a car as they marched westbound on California Avenue toward Oak Street in Bakersfield, California. The man, Robert Forbes, in his mid-50s, was then admitted to Kern Medical Center where he remained in critical condition for three days.

On Saturday morning, June 6, Forbes succumbed to his injuries according to a statement by Robert Lewis, his nephew, who believes Forbes was hit intentionally by the driver. The Bakersfield Police Department originally said the incident’s "primary collision factor" appeared to be the pedestrian walking on lanes of traffic outside a crosswalk in the 3100 block of California Avenue and said it was an accident.

"There was no report of any kind of altercation between the driver and the protesters prior to the collision, nor was there any report of the driver accelerating or making movements to indicate he was targeting the pedestrian," the agency said in a news release at 12:43 pm on June 4. "The driver showed no signs of impairment and speed does not appear to be a factor in the collision."

However, the BPD has since changed course and admitted that the investigation is still open, saying several members of the community had posted on social media “regarding their beliefs and statements that the pedestrian in this incident was struck intentionally.”

A final determination for this collision will be made once all the evidence has been collected, and investigative reports have been completed and reviewed, said BPD. A candlelight vigil has been organized on June 6 at 7 pm local time for Forbes as social media rallied to get justice for him. The candlelight vigil is set to take place at the location of the incident.