Two police officers in Sacramento, California, are back on duty after federal authorities cleared them of federal criminal civil rights charges in the shooting death of 22-year-old Stephon Clark, according to abcnews.
What We Know:
- In March 2018, Stephon Clark was fatally shot eight times, mostly in his back, by Terrance Mercadal and Jared Robinet. Clark had been mistaken for someone else by the officers who mistook his cellphone for a gun.
- U.S Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Division advised that “There was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that officers Mercadal and Robinet violated a federal statute”.
- The two will be returning to active duty and both will be placed on desk duty.
- The California Attorney General announced in March, around the one year anniversary of Clark’s death, that it concluded its own investigation and declined to issue state criminal charges against the two officers. The officers had reason to believe their lives were in danger.
- The Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinber issued a statement that the incident has been investigated at every level and each agency came to the conclusion that the city has made important changes to make the community safer.
- “On June 2, Senators in Sacramento, California approved a bill to prevent police officers from using deadly force on discriminated individuals,” BNA reported. This bill came as a result of the Clark shooting but haven’t been used effectively towards minorities. Policemen are still killing innocent African Americans and it is still a shame.
How is that possible when they just put two murders back on the streets to hover over the black communities, AGAIN?
