Charges dropped against 3 arrested in coection with fatal 2014 gang shooting

Charges against three people arrested in coection with a fatal July 4, 2014 gang shooting were dropped this week.

The Los Angeles County District Attoey’s Office dropped its case against Kerry Williams, Sr., Billie Ruth Gobert and Arielle Bingley because of insufficient evidence, according to a court clerk.

The trio were originally accused of being accessories to the murder of Kayon Dafney, 24, and were arrested with three others: Anthony Chapple, Kerry Williams, Jr. and Clyde Beasley — in March 2015. Gobert is Williams, Jr.’s grandmother, Bingley is his girlfriend and Williams, Sr. is his father.

Complaint against police

The elder Williams filed a case with the Long Beach Citizen Police Complaint Commission a year ago, claiming he was mistreated during his arrest by an officer who tackled him. The commission discussed the matter March 10 during a closed session.

Though the commission does not publicly discuss its cases, Williams shared his story during open public comment. He said police kept his wallet, containing about $1,800 in cash and identification, for almost a year before retuing it to him with the cash missing, he said. An expired city employee identification card from his time working with the city’s trash department — a job he left in 2005 — was also missing from the wallet. Williams also alleged police did not retu a pair of handcuffs that he uses in his security guard jobs.

The status of the case is not known; proceedings are handled in private. Williams said he is waiting to receive the ruling in the mail.

Anitra Dempsey, the commission’s executive director, did not retu a phone call Thursday. Sgt. Bradley Johnson, a police spokesman, said the department does not comment on persoel matters.

Ongoing case

Though the accessory charges were dropped against Williams, Sr., Gobert and Bingley, a separate criminal case continues against Williams’ son, Chapple and Beasley.

All three have been charged with Dafney’s murder. They are due back in court April 5 for a pretrial hearing before a jury trial scheduled for April 20, according to court records.

Long Beach saw four separate shootings in less than four hours the day Dafney died. He was found in an alley near the 6500 block of Gardenia Avenue around 12:30 p.m. July 4, 2014 and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police believe he was killed as retaliation for the fatal shooting of Marcel Johns, 28, exactly one week prior.

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Johns was shot while riding a motorcycle about 2 a.m. June 27 in the 5500 block of Daisy Avenue, crashed into several parked vehicles and died at the scene.