Police shooting of Stephon Clark sparks 2nd day of protests in Sacramento
SACRAMENTO -- The police killing of 22-year-old Stephon Clark brought a second day of angry protests to Sacramento on Friday. The demonstrators were largely peaceful, although there were brief confrontations with drivers stuck on blocked streets.
Clark was shot while holding a cellphone that police said they thought was a gun. 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.
Clark was killed in his grandparents' own backyard. 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.
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.
