Shooting of Stephon Clark
On March 18, 2018, officers with the Sacramento Police Department, investigating a man breaking windows in the neighborhood, shot and killed 21-year old African-American Stephon Clark, who was in his backyard.[1] The police claim that Clark was the one who was breaking the windows and fled at the sight of the police, while Clark's family disputes that. Police confronted him in the backyard and yelled "show your hands" at least three times during a short chase. Moments prior to the shooting, the police officers also shouted that they believed he was holding a gun. Clark walked towards the officers before being shot.[2] The police at first believed Clark was carrying a "tool bar", but it turned out he had only his cell phone, and no weapon.[1] Police officers fired 20 shots at Clark. The incident was recorded on body camera footage released on March 21, 2018. Clark had 2 young children.[3][4]
Stephon Clark[edit]
Stephon Clark (born Stephen Clark) was a graduate of Sacramento High School. According to the Sacramento Bee he liked sneakers, football and video games. With Salena Manni, Clark was the parent of two sons, Cairo and Aiden, aged 1 and 3.[5][6] At the time of his death Clark was 22 years old.[6]
Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet[edit]
The Sacramento Police department stated that they would release the names of the officers who carried out the shooting within 10 days of the event.[7] On March 23, Oakland civil rights attorney John Burris stated that the officers who had shot and killed Clark were Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet. One day earlier, another source told the Sacramento Bee that Mercadal was one of the shooters. The Sacramento Police Department did not confirm the attorney's statement and said that both officers had received death threats.[7]
Mercadel attended Laguna Creek High School in Elk Grove. He was an officer in Olive Branch Mississippi near Memphis, where he also managed a personal training company.[7] In 2015 Mercadel attended an officer training program in Oakland, and served as a community service officer in Sacramento. He was hired as an officer by Sacramento Police Department in 2016. At the time of Clark's shooting, Mercadel was a patrol officer in Meadowview, the location where Clark was shot. Robinet was hired by the Sacramental Police Department in 2014.[7]
Shooting[edit]
The Sacramento Police Department stated that on Sunday, March 18 at 9:18 p.m., two officers were responding to a call that someone was breaking car windows.[5] In a media release after the shooting, Police stated that they had been looking for a suspect hiding in a backyard. They said the suspect was a thin black man, 6 feet 1 inches in height, wearing darkly colored pants and a black hooded sweatshirt.[5] A Sheriff's helicopter spotted a man at 9:25 p.m. in a nearby backyard and told officers on the ground that he had shattered a window using a tool bar, run to the front of that house, and then looked in an adjacent car.[5]
Officers on the ground entered the front yard of Clark's grandmother's home, and saw Clark next to the home.[8][5] Vance Chandler, the Sacramento Police Department spokesman, said that Clark was the same man who had been breaking windows, and was tracked by police in helicopters.[5] Chandler said that when Clark was confronted and ordered to stop and show his hands, Clark fled to the back of the property.[5]
Police body camera footage from both officers who shot Clark recorded the incident, though the footage is dark and shaky.[8] In the videos, officers spot Clark in his grandmother's driveway and shout "Hey, show me your hands. Stop. Stop."[8] The video shows that the officers chased Clark into the backyard and yell "Show me your hands! Gun, gun gun," before shooting Clark.[8]
According to the police, before being shot Clark turned and held an object that he "extended in front of him" while he moved towards the officers.[5] The officers said they believed that Clark was pointing a gun at them.[9] The police stated that the officers feared for their safety, and at 9:26 p.m., fired 20 rounds, hitting Clark multiple times.[9][5]
Clark was found to have a white iphone, and was unarmed.[9][6]
After more officers arrived, one officer said "Hey, mute," and audio recording from the body camera was turned off.[8]
The Police Department stated that Clark was found with a "tool bar." On the evening of March 19, one day after the shooting, Police clarified that Clark possessed a cell phone when he was shot, not a tool bar.[5] Police added that that Clark had used either a concrete block or an aluminum gutter railing to break a sliding glass door one house adjacent to where he was shot, and that they believed Clark had broken windows from at least three vehicles in the area.[5]
Protests[edit]
Protests occurred over the shooting in Sacramento over the following week, including one on March 22, 2018 that shut down Interstate 5 and resulted in a delay of an NBA game of the Sacramento Kings.[10][11][12]
Responses[edit]
The Sacramento Police Department began a use of force investigation and placed both officers who shot Clark on paid administrative leave.[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chabria, Benjy Egel, Nashelly Chavez And Anita (March 19, 2018). "Updated: Black man shot by police was carrying cellphone, not 'tool bar,' when he was shot, department says" – via Sacramento Bee.
- ↑ Simon, Eric Levenson Madison Park Darran. "Sacramento police shot Stephon Clark holding cell phone in his grandmother's yard".
- ↑ "Moment unarmed black man shot dead by police who mistook phone for gun".
- ↑ Chavez, Anita Chabria, Benjy Egel And Nashelly (March 21, 2018). "Updated: 'Show me your hands.' Police video shows death of Stephon Clark in a hail of gunfire" – via Sacramento Bee.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Egel, Benjy; Chavez, Nashelly; Chabria, Anita (March 22, 2018). "Updated: Black man shot by police was carrying cellphone, not 'tool bar,' when he was shot, department says". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Morrar, Sawsan; Lowery, Wesley (March 24, 2018). "Sacramento simmers with tension in wake of fatal police shooting of Stephon Clark". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Chabria, Anita; Egel, Benjy (March 23, 2018). "Names of officers in Stephon Clark shooting released by civil rights attorney". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Levenson, Eric; Park, Madison; Simon, Darran (March 22, 2018). "Sacramento police shot Stephon Clark holding cell phone in his grandmother's yard". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Sanchez, Ray (March 23, 2018). "The man shot and killed by Sacramento police was turning his life around, his brother says". CNN. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ Lillis, Nashelly Chavez, Tony Bizjak, Cathy Locke, Ryan; Sangree, Hudson (March 22, 2018). "Protesters of police shooting shut down I-5 and block entry to Sacramento Kings game" – via Sacramento Bee.
- ↑ "Protesters block freeway after videos show Sacramento police firing 20 shots at unarmed black man".
- ↑ "Kings owner calls for unity amid police protests".
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