A year after police shooting, activists and officers at odds
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As activists in this capital city get ready to commemorate Stephon Clark, the unarmed black man who was killed by police a year ago Monday, one salient fact stands out about his supporters’ relationship with law enforcement:
The passage of time has done little to mend their rift.
The Sacramento chapter of Black Lives Matter plans to hold a memorial for Clark on Monday, starting at the Meadowview light rail station, site of a vigil the day after he was gunned down in his grandparents’ backyard as police responded to complaints that he had broken car windows and a neighbor’s sliding glass door.
The group plans to march in the Meadowview neighborhood where Clark died at 22, then head toward a park.
The organizers’ coordination with police appears to be zero.
“I’m not working with law enforcement because they have been extremely adversarial,” said Sonia Lewis, chapter leader of BLM Sacramento. “They will tell us one thing and make the public believe they are here to protect our protest and that they believe in the right to protest, and then they will turn around and arrest us when the veil of darkness comes upon the city.”
Authorities arrested 84 demonstrators March 4, two days after District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said the officers involved in Clark’s shooting – Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet, who said they mistook Clark’s cellphone for a gun – would not be charged in the incident because they justifiably feared for their safety.
At least one reporter and three clergymen were among those arrested, and Mayor Darrell Steinberg expressed displeasure with how police handled the situation.
The day after the announcement, a protest at Arden Fair Mall prompted its management to close Sacramento’s largest shopping center for fear a small sit-in would turn into an unruly demonstration
“I’m not working with law enforcement because they have been extremely adversarial.” Sonia Lewis Black Lives Matter Sacramento
and endanger shoppers.
It’s hard to know what to expect from Monday’s activities, which will cap a series of memorials dubbed Stephon Clark Legacy Weekend by Clark’s family.
“This is a huge day when we want to celebrate his life,” Lewis said, “but at the same time continue to lift the fact that law enforcement here is treating certain communities, like Meadowview, as if they are war zones.”
Public information officer Marcus Basquez of the Sacramento Police Department said authorities are keeping tabs on possible developments through social media but pointed out events that are talked about sometimes don’t materialize. Police don’t have a way to predict how many protesters will participate, he said.
“We are aware Monday is the oneyear anniversary, so we may have additional (personnel) standing by,’’ he said. “But a lot can change between now and Monday. We just continue to monitor. There’s nothing set in stone on what we’re going to do.’’
Basquez said his department stays in touch with community leaders, among them members of the clergy.
Asked about directly reaching out to organizers of demonstrations, he said, “We do attempt to contact who we deem might be the lead organizer in those events. Sometimes that communication is successful; sometimes it’s not.’’
Monday’s march will probably feature calls for the state Legislature to pass Assembly Bill 392, a measure that would raise the legal standard for justifiable use of deadly force by police from instances when it’s “reasonable’’ to prevent death or serious injury to those when it’s “necessary.’’
Police unions back a competing bill, SB 230, that would require more use-of-force training.