BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The family of an innocent bystander who was killed in the chaos of a police chase on Sept. 5 is mourning the loss of their loved one while demanding answers from law enforcement.
Kevin Daniel Stevens, 22, was on a bench in Oildale in the early morning hours when a wanted suspect being chased by the Bakersfield Police Department drove at a high rate of speed down Airport Drive. BPD reportedly laid spike strips to stop the suspect, causing the suspect to crash into where Stevens was located, instantly killing him. The gruesome scene was captured on camera. His family is still struggling to cope.
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“(I feel) grief, anger, confused, lost, just really confused thinking about the whole situation,” said Chanel Stevens, Kevin Stevens’ aunt.
Chanel said he was more like a brother and died on his birthday, just five months after his mother.
Kevin Daniel Stevens, 22, was killed as a bystander during a Bakersfield Police Department chase on Sept. 5, 2026.
“When I saw the phone number, I thought it was him. Cause he’s the only one with the 6-6-1 area code,” Chanel Stevens said. “I answered it so excited to tell him happy birthday. But it wasn’t him. It was the police department -them telling me that he’s no longer with us. It’s so upsetting to hear how he died.”
She blames BPD for putting her loved one in harm’s way.
“The police knew who they were chasing,” Chanel Stevens said. “They knew who they were going after. They should have backed down when they knew they were on public streets with people on them.”
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According to BPD’s policy manual, officers should consider the risk of speed and swerving before using spike strips.
17 News reached out to BPD, asking them what factors were considered before the spike strips were deployed and if this incident will change the way it approaches future pursuits. In response, BPD said in part:
“The goal is not simply to catch a fleeing vehicle as quickly as possible; it is to safely resolve the incident while minimizing the danger to the public and our officers.”
BPD added:
“The protection of life is at the heart of that commitment, and the loss of an innocent life is felt throughout our entire community. As with any critical incident, the circumstances of this pursuit will be thoroughly reviewed. We recognize the tragic loss of life and extend our condolences to the victim’s family and everyone affected by this incident.”
Now, Chanel Stevens is focused on putting her nephew to rest. She set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.
“I mean, I barely got my sister buried,” Chanel Stevens said. “And now I have to bury her 22-year-old son – that turned 22 on the accident date. It’s just unbelievable. Like I said, it’s like a horror movie.”
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