Hide Transcript Show Transcript

>> OUR INVESTIGATION CAN’T CHANGE WHAT HAS HAPPENED. BUT WE CAN MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO DELIVER A FAIR, THOROUGH, AND IMPARTIAL REVIEW. WE PROMISE THAT TO THIS COMMUNITY AND WE TOOK ON THE INVESTIGATION. >> NO CHARGES WILL BE FILED AGAINST THE OFFICERS THAT SHOT AND KILLED STEPHAN CLARK. ATTORNEY GENERAL JAVIER BACERA HAD SAID -- >> THIS WAS BROADCAST BY POLICE HELICOPTER. AND HE MOVED TOWARD THE OFFICERS OF THE BACK OF HIS GRANDPARENTS HOME. AND A BRIGHT LIGHT NEAR CLARK WHICH WAS DESCRIBED IN A LATER INTERVIEW AS A METALLIC REFLECTION OR MUZZLE FLASH. THE OTHER OFFICER SAID HE SAW A METALLIC OBJECT IN CLARK’S HANDS. >> UPON SEEING HIM ADVANCING, THEY STARTED FIRING AND STOPPED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE FELL TO THE GROUND.

Advertisement No charges: AG releases findings in Stephon Clark shooting Share Shares Copy Link Copy

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Tuesday he will not file criminal charges against the two Sacramento police officers who shot and killed Stephon Clark.“Based on our review of the facts and evidence, in relation to the law, I’m here to announce today that our investigation has concluded that no criminal charges against the officers involved in the shooting can be sustained,” Becerra said.Becerra announced the California Department of Justice’s findings at a news conference in Sacramento.Becerra's announcement comes days after Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said that her office would not pursue criminal charges against the two officers who shot and killed Clark, 22, in March 2018. The DOJ's nearly yearlong investigation revealed the officers believed they were in danger when they shot and killed the Clark, Becerra said.Clark -- who had broken car windows and a resident's sliding glass door -- did not follow officers' commands and "advanced significantly" toward the officers, Becerra said. A bright light was seen near Clark in video footage his office reviewed. “It was clear he had something in his hand,” Becerra said. The two officers said they had believed the object was a gun, but investigators only found a cellphone. Becerra's office investigated Clark's death separately from the DA's investigation at the request of Sacramento police Chief Daniel Hahn. Becerra noted that he did not review the DA's decision or work and said that the investigation did not evaluate potential civil liability or police policies. Now that state and local officials have wrapped up their investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice, will investigate whether the shooting involved violations of Clark’s federal civil rights, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office. | MORE | Click here to read the DOJ's reportThe attorney general called Clark's death a "devastating loss for loved ones and for this city." He met with Clark's mother before announcing his decision. Hear Becerra's full remarks in the video below. WHAT SCHUBERT SAID SATURDAY Schubert made her announcement during a news conference Saturday. She said she talked to Clark’s family in the morning before the announcement.“When we look at all of these facts and circumstances, we look at all of it, everything. We ask our question that we started out with again. And that question is: Was a crime committed? And, there's no question that a human being died," Schubert said. "But, when we look at the facts and the law, and we follow our ethical responsibilities, the answer to that question is no. And as a result, we will not charge these officers with any criminal liability related to the shooting death and use of force on Stephon Clark.”Schubert said she understands the outrage the findings will cause in the community.“This review does not address civil responsibility,” Schubert said. “I acknowledge these are valid conversations to be had (and) I look forward to be part of them. But, that is not the topic of today.”Clark’s mother spoke to news media outside the family home in south Sacramento after Schubert announced the findings, saying the DA failed.“I’m praying that the attorney general will pick up where she failed. My faith in the justice system is what it has been: It's not for us -- it's not for the black community,” Sequette Clark said. “It’s what they've shown us time and time again. That's about it. I feel like, shame on the DA, shame on her. I know she will not sleep well at night -- she can't. The video that my sons, my family, has watched. They said it looks different from the first video. I don't know if there's any truth to that. I just know that it's just not right -- and no justice, no peace.”The investigation results come a month after the district attorney's office said the results of the investigation into the officers involved in the shooting had to be delayed due to new information from the California Department of Justice.During the announcement, Schubert presented the evidence DA investigators looked at and considered before making the decision not to file charges. All the evidence used in the DA's investigation can be found here.The investigation included 21 cameras from responding Sacramento police officers and a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department helicopter. It also includes crime lab reports, a Sacramento County coroner’s report, photographs, dispatch recordings and more.“I want to warn everybody what we will hear and see is very graphic. Although we deal with this in a dispassionate manner to be objective, this does not mean we lack compassion,” Schubert said before presenting the evidence the DA’s office used to determine the findings.| RELATED | Read the DA's full report on the police shooting death of Stephon ClarkClark was shot and killed on March 18, 2018, in his grandparents' backyard in south Sacramento. The two responding officers said they believed he was armed and then shot Clark, police said. Investigators later discovered Clark was holding a cellphone.Officers were responding to a call about a person breaking car windows at night. The officers did not know Clark was the suspect connected to the call and they did not know he was in his grandparents’ backyard, Schubert said.A Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department helicopter led the officers to Clark, who ran away and into the backyard.Schubert said the videos show that as the officers rounded the corner, Clark was facing the officers and that his arms were outstretched. The officers said they saw a flash of light and believed it was a glare from a gun muzzle.The officers then told Clark to show them his hands. Then, the officers are heard yelling, “gun, gun, gun,” before they fired 20 rounds at Clark.“The officers clearly believed he had a gun,” Schubert said, adding they even discussed how to remove the gun from Clark.The investigation also found that Clark was initially 30 feet away from the officers. After the shooting, Clark was found 15 feet away from where the officers were standing.In her analysis, Schubert also gathered information about Clark’s state of mind in the days leading up to the shooting, including a report of domestic violence by the mother of Clark’s children and Clark's internet search history, which showed he had looked up how to commit suicide.Schubert said Clark’s death was not a suicide by cop.A toxicology report found that Clark had alcohol, Xanax, codeine, hydrocodone, marijuana and cocaine metabolite in his system at the time of the shooting.