Stephon Clark should be alive today and we call on District Attorney Anne Marie Shubert to commit to real justice for his community.
Video evidence does not confirm the false narrative spun by Sacramento Police Department. Demand accountability !
On Sunday night, March 18, 22-year-old Stephon “Zoe” Clark was shot 20 times by Sacramento police officers in his own backyard.1 We demand justice for Zoe.
We don’t yet know their names, but we know these cops are liars. First, they claimed Stephon had a gun and that they feared for their lives. Then they changed their story and said he had a toolbar and they were responding to a report of someone in the area breaking windows. As if that was an offense worthy of murder. These cops just can’t get their story straight, but the facts are out : the only item recovered at the scene was Stephon’s cell phone.
Video evidence confirms that they did not identify themselves as police officers.2 Even more troubling, officers began shooting within moments of encountering Stephon. And perhaps the most damaging : all officers present conspired to mute their microphones but are shown on camera to continue speaking to each other. "Hey, mute," one commanded the rest.3
The video does not confirm that Stephon was the suspect the police were looking for. Helicopter footage begins at him jumping a fence, not breaking cars windows as it is alleged. Stephon was killed over some broken windows because he was Black and wore a hoodie. He “fit the description.” The police profiled him and have woven a false narrative into every public statement so far. This attempt at publicly criminalizing victims and deflecting scrutiny from the police is a tactic straight out of the police misconduct playbook. They know that as long as they stick to line of “fearing for their lives,” then they’re in the clear. They know that the system works for them.
Accountability for killer cops cannot come only when the officer has a black face and the victim is white, as with the recent conviction of a Minnesota cop4.
District Attorney Shubert has a history of failing to prosecute killer cops.5 The officers who murdered Dazion Flenaugh and Joseph Mann are free today because of her choices.6 Further, she has been criticized for failing to bring charges against Sheriff Scott Jones when he blatantly broke the law.7 We are determined that Stephon Clark’s family will not suffer the same fate and the pain of ongoing injustice.
District attorneys are one of the most powerful figures in the mass incarceration machine. They decide who to prosecute and what the charges should be. They can use their discretion to brings charges at any point in the aftermath of a police shooting. We can no longer accept prosecutors that are not willing to commit to real justice for Black communities and admit that there’s a problem with the status quo.
If the District Attorney believes her inaction will somehow fly under the radar, let us put her on notice. We see you, Shubert.
A vigil was recently held for Stephon and his family grieves with his community. There is an outpouring of outrage and sadness all across social media. News of a Black man shot in his own yard has been picked up nationally and internationally.The injustice is readily recognizable and Stephon’s story has touched a chord. We are done.
Black death and the pain in our communities will not be ignored or go without consequences. Across the country, communities are building momentum around police and prosecutorial accountability. In Philadelphia, folks came together, demanded reform, and a District Attorney who could deliver. They've pushed Larry Krasner, one of the most progressive prosecutors in the country, to decriminalize marijuana possession, end cash bail for minor offenses, and release a list of bad cops in Philly in just a couple of months.8 We must come together to demand more from the DA in Sacramento--we are not letting Shubert off the hook.
Until justice is real,
Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Enchanta, Anay, Malaya, Katrese, Kristen, Marena, Marybeth, Tamar, Lorran, and the rest of the Color Of Change team
References :
1. "Sacramento Man Fatally Shot by the Police in His Backyard." New York Times, 21 March 2018 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/29669?t=10&akid=9996%2E1942551%2Eu2Lb5i
2. "Updated: 'Show me your hands.' Police video shows death of Stephon Clark in a hail of gunfire." Sacramento Bee, 21 March 2018. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/29670?t=12&akid=9996%2E1942551%2Eu2Lb5i
3. "Police Release Videos of Fatal Shooting of Unarmed Black Man." The New York Times, 22 March 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/29676?t=14&akid=9996%2E1942551%2Eu2Lb5i
4. "Minneapolis Officer Charged With Murder in Australian Woman's Death" The New York Times, 20 March 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/29677?t=16&akid=9996%2E1942551%2Eu2Lb5i
5. "District attorney clears Sacramento police in controversial shooting of Joseph Mann." Sacramento Bee, 27 January 2018. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/29672?t=18&akid=9996%2E1942551%2Eu2Lb5i
6. "DA clears police officers in shooting of armed mentally ill man in south Sacramento." Sacramento Bee, 13 January 2018. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/29674?t=20&akid=9996%2E1942551%2Eu2Lb5i
7. "Sheriff's concealed weapons flap heats up DA's race." Sacramento Bee, 12 January 2018. http://act.colorofchange.org/go/29679?t=22&akid=9996%2E1942551%2Eu2Lb5i
8. "Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner Promised a Criminal Justice Revolution. He’s Exceeding Expectations." The Intercept, 20 March 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/29678?t=24&akid=9996%2E1942551%2Eu2Lb5i
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire