Police Shot At A Man 20 Times In His Own Yard, Thinking He Had A Gun. It Was An iPhone.
BY Herschel Smith
6 years, 9 months ago
Police say they saw an object in Stephon Clark’s hand before they fired 20 bullets that killed him in his back yard Sunday night in Sacramento, a disturbing moment that was made public through body camera footage released Wednesday night.
The two officers were responding to a 911 call about a man breaking vehicle windows when they encountered, then killed, Clark, an unarmed black man.
Video released by the Sacramento Police Department depicts a frantic foot pursuit through darkened streets pierced by white slivers of police flashlight.
The officers spot Clark approaching a house and shout: “Show me your hands! Stop! Stop!”
Clark is seen running, and the two officers round the corner of the house and find him under a covered patio.
An infrared camera on an overhead helicopter briefly loses sight of Clark.
“Show me your hands! Gun!” an officer shouts and ducks behind the wall in a fraction of a second.
The helicopter footage shows one of the officers appearing to grab his partner to pull him to cover.
Clark steps toward the officers. Behind the wall, one of the officers issues another command. “Show me your hands!” And then: “Gun, gun, gun!”
Both officers open fire. Sparks from the bullets light up the helicopter’s infrared camera in sharp white pops.
The sequence, from the first glimpse of Clark on the patio to the first gunshot, unfolds in about six seconds.
The officers are never heard identifying themselves as police before fatally shooting Clark.The gun officers thought Clark had in his hand was actually a white iPhone.
“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time in his own back yard?” his grandmother, Sequita Thompson, told the Sacramento Bee. “C’mon, now, they didn’t have to do that.”
Quick! He has something in his hand – furtive movement – everyone is trying to kill us – shoot – kill, kill kill!
Hmm … let’s see, trespassing, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, brandishing a firearm, entry without a warrant, and second degree murder.
That should about cover it. Except for qualified immunity and all that.
On March 22, 2018 at 6:44 pm, Backwoods Engineer said:
Notice: “Gun gun gun!” These killer cops in these big blue cities assume that ANYONE in possession of any gun, even on their own property, is a criminal and must be killed on the spot. I despise what this country has become, and try to stay as far away from the blue cities as I can.
On March 22, 2018 at 8:15 pm, Fred said:
Look, when the po po give you 5 conflicting orders if you would just do what they say and let them do their job then they can go home safe at the end of their shift. Problem solved.
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
“And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.”
On March 22, 2018 at 9:16 pm, SGT.BAG said:
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
On March 23, 2018 at 10:55 am, Jack Crabb said:
More legalized murder by the magic blue costumed ones.
But, hey, at least THEY went home safe.
I wonder how the copsuckers will defend this?
On March 23, 2018 at 11:39 am, Equilibrist said:
Herschel,
It’s not second degree murder. It’s first degree murder. It cannot be seen as “implied malice” (as when someone only intends to harm — but NOT kill), rather it is “express malice”. That is, they intended to kill him.
They will claim that they were faced with an imminent threat, which is clearly b.s..
Anyone but an LEO would be facing death, or life in prison for this.
I’ve seen the meme that says “Shiny badges don’t grant extra rights.”
The law and the courts (and society at large) would beg to differ.
On March 23, 2018 at 11:46 am, moe mensale said:
Interesting how they all shut off their mikes after the possibility of a f*ck-up occurs to one of them. I’m sure they wouldn’t be trying to synchronize their stories with each other at that point. Right?
On March 25, 2018 at 11:20 am, revjen45 said:
Never call the police when you are facing an existential threat. That is just summoning more assailants, against whom you stand no chance. You probably have a chance to prevail against the original threat and survive, but the Kripos have more force available than the peons and carte blanche to kill anybody they want.