Mayor ‘horrified’ by shooting video
SACRAMENTO: Newly released video footage of police killing an unarmed black man in a barrage of gunfire in Sacramento, California, left the mayor ‘‘horrified’’ and sparked street protests yesterday that gridlocked traffic in the state capital for hours.
Police said the video, captured by body cameras worn by officers involved in the confrontation on Monday, showed the victim, Stephon Clark (22) holding an object that later turned out to be a cellphone as he was shot 20 times.
The video was released by police on Thursday and soon went viral on the internet.
The shooting on Monday was the latest in a series of killings of unarmed black men by police in the United States since 2014 that has sparked a national debate about racial bias in the criminal justice system and the use of lethal force.
More than 200 demonstrators gathered yesterday to denounce the shooting in a protest organised by the Black Lives Matter movement. The protests were orderly and police allowed a group of demonstrators to march on to Interstate 5 at the height of the commuter rush hour as they blocked all southbound lanes.
Traffic was backed up on the highway, and through much of the downtown area, for hours.
The crowd then marched on to the state capitol building before converging outside the Golden 1 Centre basketball arena, preventing many fans waiting to see a game between the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks from getting in to the event.
The Kings later issued a statement asking those fans to return home and promising refunds for their tickets.
Earlier, Mayor Darrell Steinberg told reporters he was appalled by video of the shooting.
‘‘Like any compassionate person, I was horrified by the death of a young Sacramento man who we later found out had two kids,’’ Steinberg said.
‘‘What was my reaction? It was horrible.’’
Protesters marched into City Hall during the day shouting ‘‘It’s a phone, not a gun’’ and demanded to see the police chief.
Officers waited five minutes after the shooting until backup arrived before approaching Clark to help him, police said.
The encounter unfolded behind Clark’s grandparents’ home, where he was staying, according to the Sacramento Bee newspaper, which spoke to his relatives.
Sacramento prosecutors are investigating. — Reuters