Monday marks one year since two Sacramento police officers fatally shot Stephon Clark, and the community and Clark family will be hosting gatherings throughout the day to remember.
After a weekend of events in Meadowview celebrating Clark’s “legacy” — including a brunch for mothers and summit for teens — the Clark family will hold a commemoration on Monday, where Rev. Al Sharpton is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.
Sharpton previously visited Sacramento last March, in the days following Clark's death. On Monday, he'll also speak on the steps of the state Capitol, during a morning press conference with civil rights leaders and Clark family attorney Benjamin Crump.
On Monday evening, demonstrators with Black Lives Matter and other groups will gather at a light rail station just blocks from the home where Clark died for a vigil and "take the streets" protest.
Stephon Clark's brother Stevante Clark describes the past year’s grieving process as unusual.
"It’s different when you don’t have the time to grieve like the normal people who get to grieve in these situations,” he told CapRadio. “You got people in your face, asking you to do political campaigns, asking you questions. It was just weird.
“So, us coming together and realizing that everyone has an agenda, it made it easier,” he added.
Sacramento police officers Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet shot and killed Clark, an unarmed black 22-year-old, just after 9:30 p.m. on March 18 last year. The officers had followed him into a backyard, which they later learned was the home of Clark’s grandmother, and fired at him 20 times. They believed he had a gun; he was holding a cell phone
Clark's mother, Se'Quette Clark, spoke to NPR earlier this month and says memories from the night of her son’s death remain haunting.
"Every day, when I wake up, that's what I wake up with — every single day. So how do I go on? ... It's so hard for me not to be sad and depressed. It's so hard for me to breathe every single day,” she said.
Local and state prosecutors have declined to press charges against the officers.
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