Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Cedric Baxter
Age : 60
Gender : Male
Race : Black
Date : 09/03/2021
Location : Buena Park School District headquarters, 6885 Orangethorpe Avenue
City : Buena Park
County : Orange
State : California
Agency : Buena Park Police Department
Officer(s) :David Bernal; Jonathan Choi
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during police pursuit
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 09/03/2021, 60-year-old Cedric Baxter was shot and killed by Buena Park Police Cpl. David Bernal and Officer Jonathan Choi at the Buena Park School District headquarters after an approximately 10-minute police pursuit. The Orange County District Attorney later reviewed the shooting and determined that Bernal and Choi were legally justified in using deadly force.
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The encounter began shortly before 2 p.m. near Orangethorpe and Western avenues. Baxter's estranged wife was driving a Buena Park School District bus with a 6-year-old child aboard. According to investigators, Baxter followed the bus in a Chevrolet Tahoe, blocked its path, exited with a handgun and fired toward the front of the bus. His wife had an active domestic-violence restraining order against him. Police subsequently concluded that Baxter was attempting to kill her.
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A Buena Park officer encountered the shooting while on patrol and attempted to stop Baxter. Baxter drove away and police pursued him. Dashcam footage subsequently released by police showed Baxter continuing to pursue and repeatedly ram the school bus while police followed. At one point he sideswiped the bus at an intersection.
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The pursuit continued through Buena Park surface streets and into the school-district bus yard. Video showed Baxter driving over sidewalks and nearly colliding with a police cruiser. He eventually returned to the school district property, drove through a locked gate and crashed his Tahoe into a parked vehicle. The Orange County District Attorney's investigation described the pursuit as lasting nearly 10 minutes and occurring at high speed.
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Bernal took over as the lead police vehicle during the pursuit. A police helicopter monitoring the chase warned officers about civilians in the school district area as the pursuit entered the property.
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After crashing, Baxter opened the driver's door and emerged holding a handgun. Dashcam and body-camera recordings captured Bernal and Choi firing at him. Baxter fell behind the Tahoe while still holding the gun and appeared in the video to point it toward police as he rolled on the pavement. Officers continued ordering him to drop the weapon.
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Baxter was struck multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene. Police recovered the handgun. His estranged wife and the 6-year-old child aboard the school bus survived.
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Buena Park Police released dashcam and body-camera footage in November 2021. The recordings documented the school-bus ramming, pursuit, crash at the school district property, Baxter emerging with the handgun and the fatal exchange of gunfire.
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The Orange County District Attorney's Office independently investigated Bernal and Choi's use of deadly force. In September 2022, prosecutors announced that neither officer was criminally culpable. Senior Deputy District Attorney Lexie Elliott concluded that Bernal and Choi were justified in using deadly force to protect themselves and others from Baxter.
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