I WAS THERE: 'Without Video, You Don’t Have Much' - Chris Silva Recalls Fight for Answers After Brother in Bakersfield Dies During Encounter with Law Enforcement

Bakersfield resident David Silva died the night of May 7, 2013 after a controversial struggle with seven deputies with the Kern County Sheriff’s Department and two California Highway Patrol officers. His brother, Chris Silva, got the call that David had died after it was already the lead story on the local news. The death was ruled accidental and none of the officers were disciplined. In this episode of I WAS THERE, Silva reflects on his brother’s death, today’s police reform movement and what he says is a glaring conflict of interest among local sheriffs throughout California.

About the Series

"I WAS THERE" is about telling a great story. This series of first-person accounts breaks current and historical events down to human scale, carefully taking the viewer behind some of Southern California’s biggest headlines.

Production team

Executive Producer: Karen Foshay 

Producers: Tori Edgar, Denise Chan & Michael Ray 

Photographers: Trevor Jackson, Karen Foshay

Editor/Graphics: Michael Ray, Andy Viner