State Watch

Protesters shut down Sacramento mall after officers who shot Stephon Clark avoid charges

A handful of protesters shut down a popular Sacramento mall on Sunday following the district attorney’s decision to not press charges against the police officers who shot and killed Stephon Clark.

Arden Fair mall in Sacramento never actually opened on Sunday after a group of 10 demonstrators camped overnight in the mall’s center concourse and planned a “teach-in” to educate people about racial justice, according to the Sacramento Bee.

{mosads}Arden Fair mall senior marketing manager Nathan Spradlin told the Bee the decision not to open Sunday was made due to “the high potential for crowds that the interior of the mall couldn’t accommodate safely.”

Several dozen more demonstrators joined the protest by mid-afternoon.

The protesters eventually left the mall but remained outside.

“Do we have your attention now?” demonstrator Berry Accius reportedly shouted to shoppers approaching the mall entrance.

“They’ll know what happened here at the mall; the lesson is learned,” he added.

Two Sacramento police officers who fatally shot Clark last year while he was holding a cell phone they mistook as a gun will not face charges, sparking protests in the city.

District Attorney Anne Marie Schub said she wouldn’t prosecute the officers because their lethal use of force was lawful.