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Opinions/Editorials Title: Will Stephon Clark’s Killing by Police Finally Force Open California Misconduct Investigations? Stephon Clark was shot eight times in the back and side by the Sacramento police officers who chased him into his own backyard, according to a private autopsy ordered by his family and released today. This information will most certainly complicate the claims made by the police. When the officers shot Clark on March 18 while investigating a 911 call about vehicle break-ins, it was because he "turned and advanced towards the officers while holding an object which was extended in front of him," the police have said. After the shooting, the police discovered that Clark, 22, did not have a gun or any weapon. He was holding a cellphone. The autopsy report released today questions whether the police were even telling the truth that Clark was confronting them. Police body camera footage (and helicopter footage) released after the shooting does not provide a clear picture.
According to the private autopsy, it likely took between three to 10 minutes for Clark to die. From The New York Times:
Clark's death has prompted Black Lives Matter protests and activism in Sacramento, as well as the familiar "he was no angel" defense of police behavior (Clark had a criminal record and was on probation for robbery at the time he was killed—but there's no indication the police knew anything about him when they chased him).
Clark's killing by police has also sparked another round of discussion and debate over how opaque and secretive investigations of police misconduct are in the Golden State. Reason and other media outlets have made note over and over again how the powerful police lobby in the state has worked to craft the law so that it conceals just about all information that comes out of police misconduct investigations. Law enforcement unions fight to keep misconduct records even out of the hands of prosecutors who are trying to make sure they don't put bad cops up on the stand. It took a California Supreme Court decision to force stubborn law enforcement agencies to cough up just the names of police officers involved in fatal shootings (in another case involving an unarmed man shot to death). Next week, state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) plans to introduce new legislation that would require more public disclosures of police investigations that involve shootings and use of force. She has a tough fight ahead of her. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Police body camera footage (and helicopter footage) released after the shooting does not provide a clear picture. Oh, bullshit. The helicopter footage shows that he was advancing towards the cops when they fired.
#2. To: Deckard (#0) but there's no indication the police knew anything about him when they chased him). Correct. But it does explain why he didn't cooperate. His robbery probation would have been revoked and it was back-to-jail time.
#3. To: Deckard (#0) Title: Will Stephon Clark’s Killing by Police Finally Force Open California Misconduct Investigations? Nope. Not even a speed bump.
#4. To: Tooconservative (#3) Title: Will Stephon Clark’s Killing by Police Finally Force Open California Misconduct Investigations? I agree. This case is not the one to use as an example ... mainly because there was no misconduct by the police (other than poor shooting). However, this case is a prime example of victim misconduct that other blacks should be aware of: 1) Don't be breakin' things and robbin' things at night when you're on probation for robbery. 2) When the po-lice says "Let me see your hands", show them your hands. 3) Likewise, when they say, "Get on the ground", get on the ground. 4) Also, it's not a good idea to be making a phone call in someone's back yark in the dead of night with the po-lice yelling at you with guns drawn.
#5. To: Deckard (#0) but there's no indication the police knew anything about him when they chased him). Not true. They knew he had been breaking car and house windows,looking to snatch and grab items that didn't belong to him. They know this because a police helicopter was flying over the area with an infrared camera that recorded him doing it and running home to try to avoid arrest. In the entire history of the world,the only nations that had to build walls to keep their own citizens from leaving were those with leftist governments. #6. To: misterwhite (#2) His robbery probation would have been revoked and it was back-to-jail time. Maybe he should have thought of that BEFORE he started breaking windows to steal from his neighbors? In the entire history of the world,the only nations that had to build walls to keep their own citizens from leaving were those with leftist governments. Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest |
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