Baker, California—So, I was out in the middle of the Southern California desert near Baker when I saw a bunch of police cars with their flashy lights up ahead. It was pretty strange to see so many cops in such a desolate area, but Sean Kennedy, driving his rental car, was actually happy about it. He had finally found what he was looking for: the Baker to Vegas relay race.
For the Los Angeles law enforcement folks, this race is like their Super Bowl. They spend months raising money to send teams of 20 runners each from Baker to Vegas, a 120-mile journey. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department usually sends a bunch of teams, and some of them are actually pretty good at winning. Even for those who don’t win, the race is a great morale booster and a chance to bond outside of L.A. County.
But for Kennedy, the race was a chance to look for deputy gangs. These groups have been a problem for the department for years, costing the county millions in legal settlements. Kennedy had been investigating them for almost a decade as part of the Civilian Oversight Commission, and he wanted to see them in action.
However, instead of seeing deputies with questionable tattoos, he found a different issue within the Sheriff’s Department. A deputy from Lancaster had been convicted of violating a Black woman’s civil rights during a 2023 incident in a WinCo Foods parking lot. This led to a lot of controversy and calls for a boycott of the race in solidarity with the deputy.
Despite the tensions, the race went on, with most Sheriff’s Department teams dropping out. The discord continued online, with accusations flying back and forth. The controversy surrounding the deputy’s case overshadowed the actual race.
The root of the problem goes back to the incident at the grocery store parking lot in Lancaster, where a deputy used excessive force on a woman recording the encounter. The video of the incident went viral, sparking outrage and protests. The case eventually went to trial, and the deputy was found guilty, leading to even more controversy and division within the department.
As the race unfolded, the focus shifted from the traditional camaraderie to the ongoing controversy surrounding the deputy’s case. The tension was palpable, with most Sheriff’s Department teams boycotting the race in protest.
Despite the drama, the race continued, albeit with fewer participants. The event was still a celebration of sorts, but the underlying issues within the department cast a shadow over the proceedings.
In the end, the controversy surrounding the deputy’s case is far from over. A settlement has been reached in the civil lawsuit, but the criminal case is still up in the air. With a new U.S. attorney reviewing the case, the outcome remains uncertain. The saga continues, with no clear resolution in sight.
And that’s the story of the Baker to Vegas relay race, where camaraderie clashed with controversy, and the thin blue line was put to the test.
