Rising tension at protests over killing of black man in California

By Bob Strong

 

Demonstrators hold signs at a rally to protest the police shooting of Stephon Clark, in Sacramento, California, U.S., March 31, 2018. REUTERS/Bob Strong

 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Tensions mounted over the fatal police shooting of an unarmed Sacramento, California, black man when a protester sustained minor injuries when struck by a sheriff's patrol car that was under attack by demonstrators, authorities said on Sunday.

 

About 150 people demonstrated in Sacramento on Saturday night to protest the March 18 shooting death of Stephon Clark, 22, who was gunned down in his grandmother's yard.

 

The death of Clark, a father of two, was the latest in a string of killings of black men by police that have triggered street protests and fuelled a renewed national debate about bias in the U.S. criminal justice system.

 

Protesters on Saturday night surrounded two marked Sacramento County Sheriff's Department patrol cars and "began yelling while pounding and kicking the vehicles' exterior," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement early Sunday.

 

"A collision occurred involving the sheriff's patrol vehicle and a protester who was walking in the roadway," the statement said. "The patrol car was travelling at slow speeds."

 

The protester was identified by local media as Wanda Cleveland, 61, who regularly attends Sacramento City Council meetings.

 

The protester was transported by the Sacramento Metro Fire Department to a hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries, the Sheriff's Department said.

 

"Vandals in the crowd" damaged the patrol car, which "sustained scratches, dents, and a shattered rear window," the Sheriff's Department said.

 

Demonstrators interviewed by local radio and television stations, who prompted a flurry of similar Twitter responses, said the sheriff's car failed to stop and called the incident a hit-and-run accident.

 

The incident is under investigation by the Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol.

 

Saturday's demonstration brought together a multi-racial crowd, many in it holding signs such as "Stop Police Rage" and "Power to the People." It was led by retired National Basketball Association player Matt Barnes, who grew up in the area and had two stints with the Sacramento Kings franchise.

 

Clark was shot by police responding to a report that someone was breaking windows. Police said the officers feared he had a gun but that he was later found to have been holding a cellphone.

 

Police have said he was moving towards officers in a menacing way. The shooting was captured on a body cam video released by police.

 

In several days of sporadic protests, protesters have blocked traffic and twice delayed fans from reaching games played by the Kings at the Golden 1 Center.

 

(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York: editing by Steve Orlofsky)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-02

comply or die...  the only rule you need to know when stopped by police, no matter what your skin tone happens to be.

2 hours ago, daoyai said:

comply or die...  the only rule you need to know when stopped by police, no matter what your skin tone happens to be.

In America however, unarmed black men are much more likely to be killed by police than unarmed white men in similar situations with the police.

Edited April 2, 20188 yr by kamahele

Shot in the back, and shown on a body cam should have been enough evidence to charge

the poilice, but no  it is the USA and the guy killed was black. I doubt anything will happen

to the officer, because of these facts.

Geezer

Shot in the back, and shown on a body cam should have been enough evidence to charge
the poilice, but no  it is the USA and the guy killed was black. I doubt anything will happen
to the officer, because of these facts.
Geezer

Yes, but what actually did the bodycam show?

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3 minutes ago, reenatinnakor said:

Yes, but what actually did the bodycam show?

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Predictably, if the footage is ever released, only reaction inducing clips will be shown.

Similar to the Rodney King spectical.

Black lives matter, when it's down to the police, when it's a  situation between the brothers, nobody bats a eyelid.

once again the idiots of "make america great again" pro trumpies allow USA to be a country where police can shoot anybody and get out if it with nothing.

abolish the 2nd amendment, impeach and send to jail trump and sentence without parole to life jail the cops who killed this brave father of two with only mistake to be BLACK, play with his mobile phone in his mother backyard !

Shame of America !

2 hours ago, kamahele said:

In America however, unarmed black men are much more likely to be killed by police than unarmed white men in similar situations with the police.

 

It is not that safe for unarmed white women either.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/us/minneapolis-police-shooting-justine-damond.html

Reading other news reports his family make him out to be a fun loving family man. Stay at home dad who never wanted to leave his kids. They did however leave out his criminal record. In the last 4 years it includes, robbery, pimping and domestic violence. He was out on probation for robbery at the time of his death. Oh and one of the cops who shot him was also black. Not saying the cops where justified in shooting but live by violence die by violence. I won’t be shedding a tear for him. 

1 hour ago, Tongjaw said:

Reading other news reports his family make him out to be a fun loving family man. Stay at home dad who never wanted to leave his kids. They did however leave out his criminal record. In the last 4 years it includes, robbery, pimping and domestic violence. He was out on probation for robbery at the time of his death. Oh and one of the cops who shot him was also black. Not saying the cops where justified in shooting but live by violence die by violence. I won’t be shedding a tear for him. 

Well there's a huge surprise

5 hours ago, reenatinnakor said:

Yes, but what actually did the bodycam show?

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The bodycam  shows that somebody shouts he`s got a gun. The instruction drop your arms/hands (not sure), drop your gun immediately followed by the shooting

The bodycam  shows that somebody shouts he`s got a gun. The instruction drop your arms/hands (not sure), drop your gun immediately followed by the shooting

So did the guy drop his arms and whatever was in his hands when asked to do so by an officer of the law? Or not? Lol.

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