Ns News Online Desk: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by Sacramento police has roiled California’s capital city, leading to a protest that shut down a freeway and delayed an NBA game at the downtown arena. Stephon Alonzo Clark, 22, died in a hail of police gunshots Sunday night in the darkened backyard of the home where he had been staying with his grandparents. Police say they thought he was pointing a handgun but they found only a cellphone nearby.
Here’s what’s known about the case — and what’s still unclear: What Led to the Shooting
Sacramento police say two officers responded after 9 p.m. Sunday to reports of an unidentified man breaking car windows. Deputies in a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department helicopter said they spotted the suspect and reported that he had picked up a toolbar and broken a window in a residence.
Two officers on the ground ordered the suspect to stop and show his hands, but he ran into a backyard of his grandparent’s home. Police say he turned and advanced toward the officers while holding an object in front of him.
The officers believed it was a firearm and feared for their safety, the department said. They fired 20 times.
