Last Saturday it was announced by the authorities that the two Sacramento police officers involved in the shooting of Stephon Clark last year would not be charged. The announcement caused a lot of tension in California.
Anne Marie Schubert, the Sacramento D.A., said both officers, Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet, acted within the confines of the law as the thought Stephon Clark had a weapon on him. Investigators, however, found just a cellphone on the deceased. In their defense, Schubert said officers are usually under pressure to make such decisions in just a few seconds.
As soon as the announcement was made, protests began brewing downtown California. Business owners were informed to stay throughout the weekend by the business association, state workers were also given the same instruction for their own safety.
Schubert said it was not enough to sympathize with Clark’s family, as the decision not to press charges cannot diminish the anger or tragedy felt by Stephon’s death.