Friends Hold Touching Vigil For Homeless Man Fatally Shot By Sheriff's Deputy
CASTAIC (CBSLA.com) — Friends of a 51-year-old homeless man gathered in Castaic Saturday to mourn his loss and to question why Bill Bowers was shot to death by a sheriff's deputy.
KCAL9's Jennifer Kastner attended the emotional ceremony.
"It was at close range. they walked up to him and bam. just shot him no warning, nothing, no taser, nothing," said friend Alicia Dorsch.
It's only been four days sice she saw her dear friend shot to death.
Tonight was the first time she's shown her face or shared her story.
"Bill kinda just fallen to his knees and that's when I said 'No they shot him' and then I ran down the stairs and sure enough. I watched Bill, I watched Bill die," said Dorsch.
Saturday evening, there was heartache and grief as many came to say goodbye.
Bowers was killed outside a Rodeway Inn at night.
"He didn't deserve what happened to him like this. Nobody deserves anything like that," said one friend.
Deputies said they recognized Bowers and they wanted to question him about being on probation for a drug violation. But he took off.
Kastner was told deputies chased him down. Witnesses told her he was just getting toiletries from the inn and that he was unarmed and his hands were at his sides and he was shot without a warning.
"He never ever was a threat to anybody. He just loved everybody. He helped all us homeless, my kids, all of us," said a friend.
Why less than lethal force wasn't used is a question his family and friends cannot get answered.
The Sheriff's department says it's still in the middle of its investigation.
Several businesses, including the Rodeway Inn, might have captured the incident on surveillance video and those tapes are also being reviewed, Kastner reported.
