Protests in Sacramento over unarmed man's death grow unruly
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Demonstrators broke at least one car window, doused a bystander with drinks, and blocked busy downtown Sacramento thoroughfares in a second day of protests over the fatal officer-involved shooting of an unarmed black man. The Sacramento Bee reports Friday's protests grew unruly and sometimes violent.
About 200 protesters confronted drivers in traffic, breaking the rear window of one car as it made its way through the throng.
One video shows a protester jumping on an SUV's hood and the vehicle starting to drive off with him on top. The man jumped off, and the SUV sped away.
The California Highway Patrol blocked ramps to Interstate 5 from protesters trying to disrupt traffic for a second day.
Police fatally shot 22-year-old Stephon Alonzo Clark in the darkened backyard of his grandparents' home. He was shot while holding a cellphone that police said they thought was a gun, CBS News' John Blackstone reported.
Directed by a law enforcement helicopter, two officers came to a corner, saw a man holding something and fired 20 shots in his direction. A sheriff's helicopter with a heat detecting camera was searching for a burglary suspect breaking windows.
"He just broke the window, running south, to the south," an officer said in the chopper video.
As Clark jumped backyard fences, two patrol officers joined the chase.
"Hey! Show me your hands! Stop! Stop!" officers could be heard shouting.
Fearing Clark had a gun, they opened fire. Clark was killed holding a cellphone.
"Show me your hands! Gun, gun, gun!" the officers said as gunshots rang out. "Shots fired, suspect down!"
For demonstrators, the video is proof police acted too quickly with lethal force. On Thursday night, protesters blocked a major freeway then surrounded the arena where the NBA's Sacramento Kings were playing, keeping most fans out of the game.
In a news conference late Friday afternoon, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said while the investigation is far from complete, regardless of the outcome, this is wrong.
