Protests erupt in Sacramento after deadly officer-involved shooting
SACRAMENTO -- Protesters are demanding that the two officers involved in a Sacramento shooting be charged in the death of 22-year-old Stephon Clark.
Hundreds of protesters surrounded the Golden One Center in downtown Sacramento where the Kings and Atlanta Hawks were playing. Protesters effectively shut off entrances to the game, many of the fans were sent home.
The protest followed the release of police bodycam video, which shows the shooting.
It's not just the disturbing manner in which Clark died, but what happened after the split second decision by police and why they turned off their microphones that has many in Sacramento, including Clark's family outraged Thursday night.
"He was shot so many times, so many times," said Clark's grandmother Sequita Thompson.
Police say the incident started when neighbors called 911, reporting a man breaking car windows then hiding in a backyard.
Police went door to door looking for the suspect. In the air, a police helicopter zoned in on someone running south, then hopping a fence.
Officials say Clark was looking into a car parked at his grandmother's house.
Police say they fired 20 rounds because Clark advanced toward them holding what they believed to be a gun, and they feared for their safety.
After Clark was shot, police waited nearly six minutes for backup before administering CPR. Soon after, their bodycams went silent as officers discussed what happened with a supervisor.
"When they fire their service weapons, they believed that this individual had a firearm," said Sacramento Police Sargeant Vance Chandler.
The shooting prompted outrage in the community Thursday night which led to a protest.
Protesters lined the streets near I-5 in Sacramento and eventually spilled onto the highway, blocking drivers passing by. Later, more protesters surrounded the Golden One Center as the Kings got set to play the Atlanta Hawks.
Bodycam footage showed the father of two holding just an iPhone, no weapon was found.
