Darion Baker, a 22-year-old African American male, died on February 21, 2018, in Stratford, Texas. The incident occurred when Baker and his friend, Gregory Dees, were driving through Stratford on their way home to Memphis, Tennessee. The two men had run out of money while on vacation in Los Angeles and decided to steal an unoccupied Infiniti sedan to return home. As they approached Stratford, officers Richard Coborn and Michael McHugh of the Stratford Police Department noticed the sedan slowing down suspiciously and decided to follow it. The officers eventually followed the men to a Pilot Travel Center, where they recorded the license plate and relayed the information to police dispatch. After confirming that the sedan was stolen, the officers decided to investigate further.
The officers parked near the convenience store, and Officer Coborn went inside, where Baker and Dees were still shopping.
Upon entry, three young men informed Coborn that Baker and Dees were asking suspicious questions about how to get to Memphis on backroads to evade police checkpoints. Coborn, Baker, and Dees exited the convenience store together, and the officers then drove directly behind the sedan and activated their police lights. Coborn and McHugh exited their SUV and approached the sedan with their guns drawn. Dees, who was filling the gas tank, dropped the gas pump and climbed into the front passenger seat. The officers shouted commands at Baker and Dees, including "let me see your hands" and "roll the window down." Unable to see inside the sedan due to darkly tinted windows, Coborn began striking the driver-side window with his firearm. When he couldn't break the window, Coborn moved directly in front of the sedan.
The sedan's brake lights came on, but the car remained stationary. At this moment, McHugh can be heard yelling, "you go for it." The officers then fired shots at the vehicle, killing Darion Baker. The passenger, Gregory Dees, was arrested. The incident led to a federal lawsuit filed by Baker's family against the City of Stratford and the two police officers involved, claiming that the officers used excessive force. The lawsuit was dismissed, but the case continued to be a point of contention, with the plaintiffs appealing the district court's grant of summary judgment to the defendants. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded the case to the district court, stating that there were still genuine disputes of material fact regarding the degree of force used by the officers.
The case highlights the ongoing debate over the use of force by law enforcement officers and the legal challenges faced by families seeking justice for their loved ones. Darion Baker's death remains a tragic example of the complexities and controversies surrounding police interactions with African American individuals.
