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Federal authorities will not sue the two police officers in Sacramento involved in the killing of an unarmed black man in 2018, officials said Thursday.
The US District Attorney for California's Eastern District and the FBI said Thursday in a statement that a federal review had concluded "that there was not enough evidence to support the criminal charges for violating the laws." Civil Rights ", against the officers involved in the shooting of Stephon Clark, 22 years old.
"As a result, the investigation into this incident has been closed," said the Justice Department in a statement, calling the review cautious and thorough.
The shooting of March 18, 2018 triggered demonstrations. In early March, Anne Marie Schubert, Sacramento County Attorney General, announced that the two officers involved would not be charged.
The shooting took place in the backyard of Clark's grandmother, following rumors that someone was breaking the windows of the car. Both officers said that they thought Clark had a rifle and was in shooting position before shooting, but only one cell phone was found.
Clark family members said Thursday that they would continue their fight for justice. They met with the FBI, the Sacramento Police and the Department of Justice about the decision.
"We still want people to be held accountable," Clark's brother, Stevante Clark, told a press conference.
"We will continue to fight for justice," he said. "Delayed justice is justice denied, and today, justice has been denied for Stephon Clark – for the third time.
Schubert said in March by announcing that no charges had been filed, this body camera and other evidence showed that one of the officers had shouted at Clark to show his hands, that they had been hiding during the incident and that they had seen a lightning bolt that, according to a policeman was the gun shot of a gun and the lorry. Another thought was the light reflected by a pistol.
Statements made by the officers asking whether the other had been hit a few seconds after the shooting "support the belief that they honestly, without hesitation, believed he had a gun," said Schubert to the time.
She also said that the camera video on the body was showing a flash of light and that the video of the helicopter showed that Clark was advancing on the agents before being shot.
Stevante Clark said Thursday that "[the] The Sacramento Police Department should know the difference between a gun and a cell phone, and my brother should be alive and with us today. "
The police were named after a broken glass window on the car window on 29th Street at around 9pm. that night, and the DNA showed that this person was Clark, said Schubert in March.
Two officers responded to Clark's backyard, they ordered him to show his hands and one of the officers shouted "gun" before he was shot, a video with a camera for the body appeared.
The Justice Department said Thursday that the federal review was comprehensive and included a review of all evidence, including witness statements and video recordings, and that it had committed to investigate allegations of excessive force on the part of the police.
In March, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra also said that an independent investigation had revealed that no criminal charges had been brought against the police.
California last month updated its laws governing the use of lethal force by the police. The old state standard was that it was rare for police officers to be charged as a result of a shootout and relied on the doctrine of "reasonable fear", which means that if prosecutors or jurors felt that officers had reason to fear for their safety, they could resort to lethal force, the Associated Press reported.
The new law, which will come into force on January 1, will only allow the police to use lethal force when it is "necessary" to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious injury to police officers. citizents.
The head of the Sacramento police, Daniel Hahn, said in a statement Thursday that an internal review revealed no violation of the department or training, but "we are determined to implement strategies avoiding tragedies similar to the future ".
The two officers involved will return to their active service, said Hahn. He said his heart went to Clark's family and that the tragedy "will always have a profound effect on our department and the community as a whole".
"We are still committed to finding reasonable solutions to avoid similar tragedies," Hahn said in his statement.
Associated press contributed.
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