A California man is the target of death threats after he was accused of being the gunman that shot two L.A. County deputies.
Darnell Hicks, a Compton resident, was blamed for the brutal shooting on social media. Users posted photos that exposed his I.D. picture, address and license plate, resulting in a slew of threats Hicks’ way.
“I have two daughters,” he told KTLA. “I don’t even feel safe taking them out no more.”
Hinks shared that he is worried the news could harm his reputation and potentially affect his livelihood.
“I’ve got my own clothing line. I do a lot of business on my own,” he said. “People looking at me differently now.”
He also noted he is sending his prayers to the two deputies involved in the shooting.
With grainy footage and an investigation that is still ongoing, it is unclear how social media users landed on Hicks as a suspect. The L.A. County sheriff department have, however, cleared his name from the allegations.
“Currently, there is a social media post that is being circulated which identifies a male out of the Los Angeles area as the suspect responsible for the ambush of our 2 deputies yesterday,” the department tweeted. “This is ERRONEOUS information and there are no named or wanted suspects at this time.”
The department is still looking for the gunman that walked up to a patrol car in Compton on Saturday (Sept. 12), and fired shots that left a male and female deputy officer in critical condition. A $175,000 money reward is currently being offered that Sheriff Alex Villanueva challenges LeBron James to match. Hicks, however, has some cautionary words for all Black men amid the search. “For any other Black man out there, just be aware,” he said. “The description was a Black male.”
Look below for the tweet that cleared Hicks’ name.