Sacramento, CA— The Sacramento Police Department has finally released the audio and video footage that shows officers pursuing and then shooting an unarmed African American man to death Sunday night. Officers say they thought the man, 22-year old Stephon Clark, had a gun, but after he was killed, they determined that he was only holding a cell phone.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Police department has not released an apology, but have acknowledged that Clark was in fact unarmed.
They have also released an official statement saying the following:
The Sacramento Police Department (SPD) recognizes the significance of this incident and the impact it has on our community. We are committed to providing timely information and communicating openly with our community.
This incident falls under the City Council policy on Police Use of Force. The material being released today has been identified as significant to this incident. The remainder of video and audio related to this incident will be released in the near future. The Police Department is releasing this material to provide information quickly to our community.
Meanwhile, Darrell Steinberg, Mayor of Sacramento, expressed his sympathy during a press conference but urged local residents to remain calm. “Emotions are understandably high. People are anguished. They’re angry and they are upset. I understand it, and we understand it,” he said. “I urge our community to remain peaceful, to respect one another, to try and be extra kind to each other. Let us channel our anguish into healing and to justice.”
He added, “It is vital that we give voice to the pain in our community, especially the African American community. There is far too much history, too much pain not to say loud and clear: ‘The death of one more young man of color is one too many.’
Watch the footage of the shooting below: