A protester from Black Lives Matter is holding an illustration of Stephon Clark during a march and demonstration on the streets of Sacramento on April 4, 2018 in Sacramento, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

Prosecutors announced Saturday that they would not indict two police officers in Sacramento for the deadly murder of an unarmed black man in his grandmother's garden, claiming that a video showed that the police had a reasonable belief that the victim had a weapon and was threatening their lives.

Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert told reporters that the evidence, including a video of the scene, showed that the victim, 22-year-old Stephon Clark, was advancing on the two police officers and was in shooting position when she opened fire.

The two officers said they saw a light that appeared to be coming from either the gun barrel or the light reflected from a firearm.

Clark, however, was not armed, but was wearing a cell phone at the time.

Schubert's recitation of the evidence included a detailed description of the contents of Clark's phone call showing that he was upset by an incident of domestic violence with his girlfriend, Selena, two nights earlier. It also showed that he had tried to come to terms with her and, at the same time, was searching the Internet for information on how to commit suicide.

Schubert said that tensions with Selena, the mother of his children, and his threats to warn his probation officer, had prompted him to call 76 times in the two days leading up to the shootings deadly.

At one point, he wrote a text for the forces of order: "I am very afraid that I will be put in prison."

Schubert said it was clear that the personal incidents "weighed heavily in his mind".

In addition, Schubert said that a toxicology test had also shown that he had traces of codeine, marijuana and Xanax in his body at the time of the facts.

The police fired Clark eight times, looking for a suspect smashing the windows of a car in the area. Although the police were not aware of it at the time, the prosecutor said that the evidence showed that Clark had been the vandal.

The video of a surveillance helicopter from the sheriff's department showed Clark jumping a fence in the yard moments before firing. The police also did not know at the time that he had entered his grandmother's yard.

Schubert stated that his very moving role in the case was simply to determine whether the police had committed a crime, and that the authorities had determined that the answer was no.

Regarding the potential reaction of the community, which had been angry in the aftermath of the shooting last March, Schubert said that she realized that many people would be upset by her findings. from a human life.

The two officers were initially put on administrative leave after the shooting, but returned to work after a few weeks.

Although an independent autopsy ordered by Clark's family determined that he had been shot by the police mostly from behind, a Sacramento County coroner's report written by a medical examiner revealed that Clark had been hit once in the front of the left thigh, three times directly on the side and three times to the right of the back.

Clark did not immediately succumb to his injuries, even though only one of the wounds could have been fatal, said Dr. Bennet Omalu, who performed the autopsy for the family.

The authorities said several minutes had passed before Clark was treated, fearing he would be armed.

Black Lives Matter Sacramento tweeted Saturday that a protest was being prepared at the police station. "THE MURDER IS A MURDER! Stephon was stolen from his family! THERE ARE NO EXCUSES! WE ASK FOR JUSTICE !!!! COME NOW !!!!"

After the shooting last March, emotions grew stronger as demonstrations and rallies disrupted traffic and blocked access to NBA basketball games. At least one meeting of the city council was interrupted by protesters.

More: Stephon Clark's family claims more than $ 15 million against the Sacramento cops

Autopsy: Stephon Clark fired 8 times, mainly at the back, after an independent autopsy

Business owners and political leaders have received warnings in recent days to stay away from downtown at least during the weekend.

Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/03/02/stephon-clark-shooting-if-cops-face-charges-over-black-man-death/ 3040152002 /