80+ arrested at protest over police shooting of unarmed Stephon Clark in Sacramento (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Police arrested over 80 protesters and detained a reporter in Sacramento, California after scores turned out to demonstrate against a decision not to charge cops who fatally shot 22-year-old Stephon Clark last March.
Clark, an unarmed black man, was holding a cell phone which officers claimed to believe was a gun when they shot him in the backyard of his grandparents’ home on 18 March, 2018.
Almost a year after his death, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert announced the police officers involved would not be charged as they had not committed a crime.
Also on rt.com No charges for police officers who fatally shot unarmed black man Stephon Clark 'in the back'
An estimated 100 people gathered in Sacramento around 7pm local time Monday to protest the DA’s decision and call for the two officers to be fired, marching through the city with placards bearing photos of Clark.
Protesters now marching up Folsom to rich, predominantly white “Fab 40’s” neighborhood. #StephonClarkpic.twitter.com/t8jfqJ3pIX
— Dave Kempa 🕳 (@youknowkempa) March 5, 2019
Eyewitnesses and local reporters at the scene say the protest was peaceful when the group was corralled by officers clad in riot gear, and scores were arrested.
I am here at Trader Joe's on Folsom where Sacramento Police have moved to arrest protesters. #StephonClarkpic.twitter.com/ae6q3hoRdG
— Brittney Delgado (@britdelg) March 5, 2019
Peaceful protesters, marching against the ruling on the Stephon Clark shooting, were manipulated into their arrest after they were corralled by the police’s threats of death and then arrested for failure to disburse at the 51st street overpass in Sacramento. pic.twitter.com/U6Y0fK3spS
— DustBunnys (@DustBunnysHere) March 5, 2019
And now the riot police are here pic.twitter.com/LXC6yLwLAi
— Dale Kasler (@dakasler) March 5, 2019
Sacramento Bee reporter Dale Kasler was covering the event when he was arrested and detained for about an hour. The outlet also reports that its photographer, Hector Amezcua, was forced to the ground by a police baton at one point and his equipment was damaged.
First time for everything. I’m glad the great @sacbeehector is fine. pic.twitter.com/P36tZItXlf
— Dale Kasler (@dakasler) March 5, 2019
Police are still carrying out an internal review into the circumstances of Clark’s death, with chief Daniel Hahn saying that it’s possible the two officers involved, Terrance Mercadal and Jared Robinet, could ultimately be fired from the force.
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