Sharpton pledges on show to attend funeral of Sacramento police shooting victim
While discussing the death of Stephon Clark, the activist promised his support to the family
Civil Rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton has made a promise to attend the funeral of Stephon Clark and vowed to do what he can to help the family find justice for the killing of the 22-year-old by Sacramento police.
On Sunday, during his MSNBC show PoliticsNation, Sharpton said he planned to attend Clark’s funeral, scheduled for Thursday, after family attorney Benjamin Crump asked him to be there.
On the spot
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“They’re very hopeful, the family of Stephon Clark, that you will be available to come on Thursday to help properly eulogize him,” Crump said.
Sharpton replied laughing: “Well, I’m going to try my best to be there since you said it on television. But I told the mother I would do what I could and I intend to be there on Thursday.”
Community Supports Clark
Community members are rallying behind Clark’s family after the 22-year-old was shot 20 times by Sacramento cops in his grandmother’s backyard, in response to a report of car burglaries in the area. Police said Clark had a gun but it later turned out he had a cellphone in his hand.
“Certainly this case has not gotten the national attention that I think it deserves,” Sharpton said on PoliticsNation. “Twenty shots at an unarmed man. I immediately was alarmed by this.”
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Strong grassroots reaction
Protestors swarmed the Sacramento area on Thursday and Black Lives Matter activists linked arms and prevented entry into Golden 1 Center, the Sacramento Kings home arena.
Sharpton said he was shocked when he heard about the case.
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