Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

Background: A Look Back At What's Happened Since The Shooting Of Stephon Clark

  •  Emily Zentner 
Saturday, March 2, 2019 | Sacramento, CA
Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

Children light candles at a vigil for Stephon Clark in South Sacramento in March 2018.

Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

Updated March 5, 3:05 p.m.

Last March, two Sacramento Police officers shot and killed Stephon Clark in his grandparents’ backyard in the South Sacramento neighborhood of Meadowview.

This week, nearly a year later, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra both announced that they would not file charges against the two officers who shot Clark.

City officials, law enforcement and activists have been preparing for the DA's decision and those that will follow, expecting demonstrations similar to those that gripped the city last year. Here's a summary of last year's events, how the community reacted and what to expect next. Click here for a full timeline of the events since Clark's death.

What happened last March

Stephon Clark was shot March 18, 2018, about 13 minutes after Sacramento police received a 911 call about someone allegedly breaking car windows in the Meadowview neighborhood of Sacramento. Police who answered the call chased Clark through the neighborhood as a helicopter followed the pursuit.

Body camera footage of the incident shows the two officers following Clark into his grandparents’ backyard. As the officers came around the back of the house, one yelled “Gun! Gun! Gun!” Moments later, the officers fired about 20 shots at Clark.

After the shooting, Clark was found to be unarmed — holding only his cellphone.

The Sacramento Police Department released the body camera and helicopter footage of the chase and shooting less than 72 hours after the shooting. The department released additional footage on April 16 that showed officers administering CPR to Clark and calling out to him as he laid on the ground.

The Clark family called for charges to be filed against the officers who shot Clark, and hired Dr. Bennet Omalu to do an independent autopsy of Clark’s body.

Omalu reported that Clark was shot eight times, seven times from the back. He said that his findings disproved the police’s statement that Clark was “assailing the officers — meaning he was facing the officers” when he was killed.

The autopsy report released by Sacramento County about a month after Omalu’s autopsy disputed his findings. The county report disputed the claim that Clark was shot primarily in the back, and reported that he was hit with seven bullets — not eight.

The Clark family filed an initial wrongful death claim with the city in September for $35 million. They filed an additional wrongful death lawsuit in January for more than $20 million.

How people reacted

On March 22, the day after the first round of videos were released, activists with Black Lives Matter and other groups filled the streets near City Hall to protest the shooting.

Protesters marched onto Interstate 5, stopping traffic going both ways during the evening commute. The demonstrators then headed to Golden 1 Center, where they blocked the entrances to the arena ahead of that evening’s Kings game. The Kings team turned away thousands of fans due to the protest.

The protests continued on March 23 throughout the city. Activists briefly blocked traffic on the Tower Bridge, but California Highway Patrol officers blocked them from marching onto the interstate again.

That night, a vigil was held in Meadowview in Clark’s honor. People marched through Meadowview, carrying candles and signs and stopping at intersections to chant and make speeches.

On March 27, three straight days of protests began leading up to Clark’s funeral. Clark’s brother, Stevante Clark, and a group of demonstrators interrupted a community forum at City Hall. Stevante Clark interrupted a council member minutes into the meeting and jumped on a table as the heated discussion grew out of hand.

The next day, protests continued outside the office of the district attorney’s office. On March 29, Reverend Al Sharpton eulogized Clark at his funeral and protests continued downtown.

Demonstrations continued with regular gatherings outside the district attorney’s office. On the six month anniversary of the shooting, protesters gathered downtown and laid in prop coffins as they demanded the officers be held accountable for the shooting.

Groups returned with renewed protests once the district attorney and state attorney general announced that they would not be charging the officers who killed Clark.

Black Lives Matter congregated outside the police station on Fruitridge Boulevard before and after Schubert’s announcement on March 2. The next day, a group of students led by community activist Berry Accius staged a sit in at Arden Fair Mall that ended in the mall closing on March 3.

On March 4 demonstrators planned a march through the Fab 40s, an affluent neighborhood in East Sacramento, to protest Schubert’s decision not to charge the officers. As the group made their way back to the Trader Joe’s where the protest started, officers issued orders for the crowd to disperse. When some did not, officers arrested 84 of those gathered there, including journalists, students and faith leaders.

Police spokesman Sgt. Vance Chandler told press that officers issued many orders to disperse and that a property owner reported that demonstrators had been keying cars in the neighborhood.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg called for an investigation into the arrests by the City Office Of Public Safety Accountability.

What’s changed since then

In the nearly one year since Clark's death, the Sacramento Police Department and the state as a whole have made changes sparked by the shooting.

Less than a month after the shooting, the police department changed its policy around muting body cameras. The officers who shot Clark muted their cameras shortly after the shooting as they talked with fellow officers. Officers now are not allowed to mute their body cameras unless a supervisor tells them to.

The police department also changed their foot pursuit policy in the wake of the shooting, as Police Chief Daniel Hahn told Insight host Beth Ruyak.

The state legislature also moved to increase police records transparency in the state this year following Clark’s shooting. Personnel records for police departments throughout the state are now available through public records requests, though not all departments have been forthcoming with the records, pending legal challenges.

What this could mean going forward

Police and city officials are preparing for the March 5 city council meeting after the district attorney and attorney general’s announcements. Last year, when Clark was killed, demonstrators spoke out and protested at city council events.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced March 5 that the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI, along with the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, will be investigating whether the fatal shooting of Stephon Clark by Sacramento police violated Clark's federal civil rights.

Becerra said that the report released March 5 is the first of two reports that the state Department of Justice will compile about the Sacramento Police Department's training, policy and practices regarding use of force. The second report has not yet been released.

This story is developing and will be updated.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    More about Stephon Clark

  • Family courtesy photo via AP

    The Latest: Shooting Of Stephon Clark

    On Sunday, March 18, 2018, Stephon Clark was shot and killed by two Sacramento police officers in the backyard of his grandparents' house in South Sacramento. Check back here for the latest updates, conversations and analysis.

    Related Stories

  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    Reporters Describe March For Remembrance On Stephon Clark Anniversary

    Tuesday, March 19, 2019
    CapRadio's Ezra David Romero and the Sacramento News & Review's Raheem Hosseini join us to talk about the march last night to honor the one year anniversary of Stephon Clark's death.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    Family, Neighborhood Residents Remember Stephon Clark As Rev. Al Sharpton Calls For Police Investigation Reforms

    Monday, March 18, 2019
    Neighborhood residents and Clark’s loved ones gathered to celebrate the 22-year-old’s life and legacy. Rev. Sharpton proposed a California law to require grand juries hear sworn testimony from police officers who use deadly force.
  • Family courtesy photo via AP

    Insight Special Coverage: One Year After The Stephon Clark Shooting

    Monday, March 18, 2019
    CapRadio’s Nick Miller discusses memorial events for Stephon Clark one year after he was killed by Sacramento Police. KQED’s Pendarvis Harshaw reflects on Oakland 10 years after Oscar Grant III was killed by BART police.
  • Vanessa S. Nelson / Capital Public Radio

    Vigils, Commemoration Ceremonies Planned To Remember Stephon Clark On Anniversary Of His Death

    Monday, March 18, 2019
    The Rev. Al Sharpton plans to return to Sacramento to deliver a keynote address at a remembrance ceremony, and Black Lives Matter and other groups have scheduled a vigil in Meadowview during Monday evening.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    Mayor, City Council Request Investigation Of East Sacramento Stephon Clark Protest Arrests

    Tuesday, March 5, 2019
    Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the Sacramento City Council have asked the City Office of Public Safety Accountability to look into the actions of Sacramento police officers who arrested 84 protesters Monday.
  • Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

    Attorney General Xavier Becerra Announces No Charges For Officers Who Killed Stephon Clark

    Tuesday, March 5, 2019
    California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced his office will not file criminal charges against the two officers who shot and killed Stephon Clark last year.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    What We’re Hearing From You: Community Reacts To Sacramento District Attorney’s Decision Not To Charge Officers In Stephon Clark’s Death

    Saturday, March 2, 2019
    We asked for your reactions to the DA’s decision not to charge the police officers who fatally shot Stephon Clark last March. From disgust to pride, here’s some of what we’ve heard so far.
  • Capital Public Radio / AP Photo

    We Want To Hear Your Thoughts On Stephon Clark

    Saturday, March 2, 2019
    As the community responds to official reports on the death of Stephon Clark, CapRadio will be listening. Here’s how you can keep up with our ongoing coverage and add your voice to the conversation.

 Stephon Clark

Emily Zentner

Data Reporter

Emily Zentner is CapRadio's Data Reporter. At CapRadio, Emily has covered the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, elections and more, and acted as the data reporter for the station's TahoeLand podcast.  Read Full Bio 

 @emilymzentner Email Emily Zentner

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Stories

AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File

Growers brace to give up some Colorado River water

January 22, 2023

Ariel Davis for NPR

Therapy by chatbot? The promise and challenges in using AI for mental health

January 22, 2023

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Rep. Adam Schiff announces 2024 Senate run, teeing up a high-profile primary

January 26, 2023

Most Viewed

The city of Memphis releases videos of Tyre Nichols' arrest and beating

California coronavirus updates: Judge blocks California law preventing doctors from spreading COVID-19 misinformation

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

Republican plan would outlaw homeless camps near California schools or parks

Behind The I-80 Castle: A Drag-Racing, Beauty School Mogul’s Dream House

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

The city of Memphis releases videos of Tyre Nichols' arrest and beating

California coronavirus updates: Judge blocks California law preventing doctors from spreading COVID-19 misinformation

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

Republican plan would outlaw homeless camps near California schools or parks

Behind The I-80 Castle: A Drag-Racing, Beauty School Mogul’s Dream House

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a News Tip
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.