SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The City of Sacramento settled the final part of a lawsuit brought by Stephon Clark’s family Friday.
According to Sacramento City Express, the city’s insurer will now pay Clark’s parents $1.7 million and his family agreed to the settlement, bringing an end to their legal actions.
A 2019 settlement gave $2.4 million to Clark’s two children and a court ruling later left his parents as the remaining plaintiffs in the case.
“The decision to resolve the case through a negotiated agreement comes after careful consideration of all options,” said City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood. “We believe this is the best path forward for all involved parties including our community.”
Brother Stevante Clark held a press conference Friday evening to address the recent $1.7 million settlement.
“I want to make it clear that the fight for accountability and justice for Stephon Clark does not stop on just some levels but all levels,” he said. “Anytime you do something so bad where a law must be created, you should be held accountable… There’s no reason these cops should still be running through other grandma’s backyards.”
On Sunday, March 18, 2018, two officers were sent to the Meadowview neighborhood for a call of a person breaking into vehicles. They arrived at the scene minutes later and were asked to check someone’s backyard for broken windows.
A foot chase began and lead to Clark’s grandparents’ backyard, and officers believed Clark was moving towards them with a gun. He was shot a combined 20 times, from two different guns, before being pronounced dead around 9:42 p.m.
It was later determined Clark was holding a cell phone – not a gun.
In the days after the shooting, people protested Clark’s death at Sacramento City Hall, the State Capitol, and across the nation.
The fatal shooting resulted in two local policy changes – one that prohibited officers from shutting down body cams and recording devices, and another requiring officers to assess the danger to the public and officers when chasing a suspect.
In Sept. 2018, Clark’s family and estate filed two claims with the city seeking $35 million in damages for reasons including wrongful death and loss of financial support.
In March 2019, the district attorney announced the two officers who shot Clark would not criminally charged. In California, laws are in place for when police officers can legally use lethal force when they consider it to be reasonable.
A protest was held in response to the announcement, resulting in 84 people being arrested, including journalists and clergy. The Sacramento district attorney decided not to pursue charges in any of those cases.
Then, on March 5, 2019, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced he also wouldn’t be charging the two officers involved, following in line with the decision of the Sacramento district attorney.
In Aug. 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom officially signed AB 392, or “Stephon Clark’s Law,” updating the use-of-force policy for when officers could use their weapons.
The first settlement with the city was reached the following month. The city agreed to pay Clark’s two sons $2.4 million – or $893,113 each after attorneys’ fees.
Legal action against the city has effectively ended Aug. 2022 with the announcement of a $1.7 million settlement for Clark’s parents.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: How Sacramento police have actually changed since the fatal Stephon Clark shooting
