No charges for Sacramento cops who killed unarmed Stephon Clark

The Sacramento District Attorney announced Saturday night that no charges will be filed against the two officers who killed Stephon Clark, the unarmed father of two whose shooting last March 18 prompted angry, nationwide protests.

Cops had fired as many as 20 times on Clark, 22, in his grandmother’s backyard after a chase prompted by reports of car break-ins. Cops believed he was armed; he turned out to have only been holding a cell phone.

Protests after the shooting were so massive they at one point closed an interstate; in August, an angry group crashed the wedding of one of the accused officers.

Activists including the Rev. Al Sharpton traveled to Sacramento for rallies decrying the wrongful use of deadly force and demanding accountability. In Times Square, demonstrators hurled bottles at cops near the TKTS bleacher stairs.

“There’s no question a human being died,” Sacramento DA Anne Marie Schubert told reporters during a press conference announcing the conclusion to her office’s investigation.

“But when we look at the facts and the law, and we follow our ethical responsibilities, the answer to that question is no,” she said of whether the officers should be indicted.

“And as a result we will not charge these officers with any criminal liabilities related to the shooting death and the use of force on Stephon Clark.”

The two officers “acted lawfully under the circumstances,” the DA said.

Soon after the news, a crowd gathered outside the Sacramento Police Department.

Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy for Clark’s funeral, used his PoliticsNation show on MSNBC to condemn the DA’s decision.

“We’re not calling for the system to be brought down. We’re asking for the system to stand up,” he said. “We must stand for what is right, and stand for what is transparent, not hide them in prosecutors’ offices.”

Clark’s mother, Sequette, told reporters outside her home, “This is just the beginning. Fight for justice. The fight will begin now.”

Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn said in a statement, “It is our responsibility to continually examine all our policies and practices for any opportunity to improve how we police our community. We are committed to that on-going work as a permanent part of who we are as a department.”

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