Stevante Clark, the older brother of Stephon Clark, has filed paperwork Monday to officially run for mayor of Sacramento.
Clark, 25, filed the paperwork with the California Secretary of State opening two campaign finance committees, one citing a 2020 mayoral bid in the next general election, according to the Sacramento Bee.
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“I don’t have the most experience, I’m not the smartest guy,” Clark said. “At the same time, I’m from the city of Sacramento and if there’s anybody who’s going to listen to the people of Sacramento and who knows the problems of Sacramento, it’s me.
“Even though I did decide to run for mayor after the death of my brother,” Clark said, “I’m not making this about me in retribution and revenge.”
Stephon Clark was unarmed and holding a cellphone when he was killed by Sacramento police on March 18 in his grandmother’s backyard. Bodycam video of the shooting set off massive protests in the city.
Stevante Clark, during a town hall meeting, jumped on the dais at City Hall and told current Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg to “Shut the f— up” and later gave a number of odd media interviews.
Clark has since apologized to Steinberg, and has said the trauma of his brother’s death caused mental health issues, for which he received treatment in April.
Clark told the Bee that he would work to improve life in the city’s “underdeveloped communities.” Clark also said he wants to open resource centers in his brother’s name in South Sacramento.
The centers would offer job training, computer labs, recreational opportunities, childcare, mentoring programs, and mental health therapists, he said.
Clark also plans to propose a set of police reforms called the Clark Family Act to city leaders in the coming weeks, he said. As part of that, he proposes the city hire more police officers of color who grew up in urban areas
”They don’t necessarily have to be from South Sacramento, but officers of color from Oakland’s urban areas or LA’s urban areas,” Clark said, writes the news outlet. “Officers who know the struggle, who know where the people of those neighborhoods come from.”
Clark also proposes the department require more training for officers in use of force, implicit bias and gang politics, he said. He also suggested more community outreach, including weekly ride-along programs for youth.