Police Shootings Are Also Gun Violence
On March 18, Stephon Clark was shot and killed by Sacramento Police officers. Responding to a call regarding a suspect breaking car windows, the two officers encountered Clark, a 22-year-old black man, who ran into his grandmother’s backyard. The officers allege they believed Clark had a gun, and can be heard on a body-camera recording yelling the word “gun” just before shooting. Clark was only carrying a cell phone. The hail of 20 bullets fired towards him shredded Clark’s body so badly that his family reportedly couldn’t properly complete ghusl, a ritual cleansing that’s part of Muslim burial rites. A family-ordered autopsy found that the majority of shots hit Clark in his back, raising the possibility that he was still fleeing when police decided to open fire.
On April 4, Saheed Vassell was shot and killed by New York City “took a two-handed shooting stance and pointed an object at the approaching officers.” Vassell was only carrying a metal pipe. The NYPD has refused to comment on whether the officers offered a warning to Vassell. The officers fired 10 shots, striking Vassell multiple times. Members of his family fought with security staff at Kings County Hospital when they were denied access to his body. Vassell suffered from bipolar disorder.
