Demand increases for accountability, criminal charges in Stephon Clark police shooting
As the family of Stephon Clark prepares to bury him, supporters are sharply demanding action and answers in the wake of his death at Sacramento police hands
The family of Stephon Clark is putting pressure on the city of Sacramento and, along with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, held a press conference Monday to call for the police officers responsible for Clark’s death to be criminally charged, reports the Sacramento Bee.
The shooting death of the 22-year-old father is still under investigation and caused widespread protests throughout the city. The NAACP has taken up the cause to investigate and claim that the Sacramento police have failed to respond to their queries surrounding Clark’s killing after police fired 20 shots at him in his grandmother’s backyard. Bodycam footage revealed he was holding only a cellphone in his hand.
The work ahead
“The DA didn’t respond to us, and that gives us a leg to stand on” said Alice Huffman, head of the California NAACP. Huffman said the pressure on the police won’t cease “until they stop gunning down our people like animals.”
Crump is representing the Clark family and said an independent autopsy of the 22-year-old’s body is underway as the family prepares to view him. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday.
“No family should have to endure this pain and suffering as they try to seek answers for the execution of their loved one who was only holding a cell phone.
“We will stand up for Stephon, we will speak up for Stephon…until we get justice,” said Crump, who also represented the families of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown – two victims of racially-charged killings who became household names.
Crump wants the two police officers who responded to the call charged with Clark’s killing and the family’s putting the pressure on the district attorney’s office.
Waiting for an answer
Betty Williams of the NAACP said since the Sacramento District Attorney hasn’t responded, she’s taking up the issue with the U.S. Justice Department’s civil rights division in hopes they will investigate the killing.
However the Sacramento County District Attorney chief deputy Steve Grippi did speak with NAACP officials and said they are in the process of setting up a meeting to move things forward.
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Grippi, in a prepared statement, added, “We are confident in our ability to fairly and ethically review law enforcement use of force cases in Sacramento County. At the same time, we are open to an independent oversight or evaluation by appropriate state or federal agencies if such assessment would enhance public confidence in the ultimate outcome.”
Sacramento’s Mayor Darrell Steinberg doesn’t believe that race was a factor in this case.
“I do not believe that these officers or the Police Department are racist,” Steinberg said. “However, implicit and structural racism pervades every aspect of American life, including education, law enforcement and public safety. And to talk about the tragic death of Stephon Clark without acknowledging that and viewing it through this lens would be wrong.”
Moving forward
There will be an upcoming community meeting to address concerns and speak with experts about policies involving training police on how they use force and pursue suspects on April 10, Steinberg said.
“We are going to dive into these issues in a serious way, prior to the investigation, without prejudicing the investigation,” Steinberg said. “We owe it to everybody to move fast, but be thorough and dig deep.”
