Two Sacramento police officers who fatally shot Stephon Clark in his grandparents’ backyard in 2018 won’t face criminal charges, federal investigators announced Thursday.
The announcement wraps up a joint investigation by U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott and the FBI into the death of Clark, who was unarmed and clutching a cellphone when police fired 20 rounds at the father of two. After reviewing evidence gathered by local and state law enforcement agencies, the federal investigators found “insufficient evidence” to bring charges against officers Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet.
Scott said he met with Clark’s family to inform them of the investigation’s results, which align with Sacramento District Attorney Ann Marie Schubert’s contentious decision not to pursue charges this past March. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra also declined to bring charges against the two officers in March.