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The grandmother of an unarmed black man killed by Sacramento police is calling for changes in the way police confront suspects. Sequita Thompson said Monday police didn’t need to shoot and kill 22-year-old Stephon Clark in a darkened backyard. (March 26)
AP
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Protesters disrupted a meeting Tuesday of the Sacramento City Council held to accommodate residents wanting to discuss the shooting death of an unarmed black man by police.
Stephon Clark, 22, was fatally shot by police March 18 in his grandmother’s backyard. Officers said they initially thought he had a gun. He was holding a cellphone.
At Tuesday’s packed council meeting, Clark’s brother Stevante Clark jumped on the dais and demanded to speak, saying he didn’t think the council would make meaningful changes as a result of his brother’s death.
The council adjourned for roughly 15 minutes as a result of the disruption.
Protesters outside of City Hall forced their way into the atrium as metal detectors fell down.
Protesters later moved to Golden 1 Center, blocking the entrances to the arena. The Sacramento Kings were scheduled to play the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
The Kings released a statement saying the game would be delayed and the arena entrances were “temporarily closed.”
“Stand-by for further instructions as we coordinate safe entry to the building. We apologize for the inconvenience,” the statement said.
The game started a few minutes after the scheduled time,but the 17,600-seat arena was sparsely populated.
Earlier Tuesday, the California attorney general’s office said it is joining an investigation into the fatal shooting to provide independent oversight.
More: Protesters block freeway after videos show Sacramento police firing 20 shots at unarmed black man
Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn announced the partnership Tuesday alongside Attorney General Xavier Becerra. He said he hopes it will build “faith and confidence” in the investigation.
Stephon Clark’s family said they are skeptical that there will be a proper investigation – even with the state attorney general involved. Clark’s uncle, Curtis Gordon, says the family will wait to see what results. He says it’s all talk at this point.
Contributing: The Associated Press