2 Sacramento cops who shot Stephon Clark won't face charges

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

By DONALD THOMPSON
17 minutes ago

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The two Sacramento police officers whose fatal shooting of an unarmed black man last year prompted nationwide protests will not face criminal charges, prosecutors announced Saturday.

Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said Officers Terrance Mercadal and Jared Robinet used lethal force lawfully. The officers have said they thought Stephon Clark, a vandalism suspect, had a gun but investigators found only a cellphone.

“We must recognize that they are often forced to make split-second decisions and we must recognize that they are under tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving circumstances,” Schubert said.

The city has been bracing for protests ahead of the decision, with business owners warned by a business association and state government workers told by legislative officials in recent days to stay away from downtown at least through the weekend.

-snip-


Read more: https://apnews.com/61793dc0691c4f8a99c516948c10ee8d

[USALiberal]

1. They fired 20 shots! Face it, no downside, they seldom get punished. nt

[catrose]

2. Isn't this the guy just standing in his grandmother's yard, talking on his phone?

Nothing to do with any crime

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. He was chased

and ran to his grandparent's yard. The article said he had domestic violence charges pending and that he had been researching suicide methods. So this may have been suicide by cop.

[catrose]

5. I might run too...I didn't get the idea that they were looking for him specifically

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/22/us/sacramento-police-shooting/index.html

[Reece2076]

6. I live in Sacramento and followed this story when it happened...

In the video a helicopter recorded Stephon Clark jumping from yard to yard trying to get away from the police. He was allegedly breaking into cars in the neighborhood his grandmother lives in. We can only assume someone saw him and called the police, but the video did not show him breaking into cars. Presumably he stopped when he her the helicopter and saw the lights.

Then there is a the body cam footage as well. Stephon was cornered at his granmothers back door. He tried to get in but it was locked. The police arrived shortly after Stephon discovered it was locked. He turned away from the door and toward the police coming around the corner. It is unclear if the police issued a warning before opening fire. It was also very dark. I think they should have at the very least issued a warning, but again it is unclear if they did or didn't.

[Mr.Bill]

3. Sadly, in California a badge is a license to kill.

You don't often hear of a cop going to jail here.

[Blue_Tires]

7. Just like Trayvon, they had to kill him twice...

Once physically, and then they killed his reputation through shameless unrelated smears...

At what point do black folks finally start taking the law into our own hands??