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William Walsh is a popular and revered street cop assigned to patrol an unremarkable beat in Bakersfield, California. William (or Billy as his family and friends know him) is what could be described “as straight as they come,” with no preconceived notions of categorizing people or racial stereotypes, at least none that he was aware. Then one average ordinary Tuesday, he and his partner pull over a light blue sedan that distinctly fits the description of a vehicle previously used in a crime. During the stop, William – new, nervous, and eager to be a good officer – inadvertently pulls the trigger and shoots the driver. Actually, he shoots the driver four times. This is the story of the aftermath of a White-on-Black police shooting. It’s a hard look into the lives of two men who couldn’t be any more different, the grappling circumstances after the shooting, and the gift they share that transforms lives.

2022 January Joyce

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