A peaceful vigil remembering the life of Stephon Clark took an unfortunate turn Saturday night when a person was hit by a Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputy’s SUV.
Around 9 p.m., roughly two hours after the vigil started, a deputy’s SUV hit a person at the intersection of Florin and 65th Street. The person was taken away by an ambulance.
According to a press release by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, two marked patrol cars became surrounded by a group of protesters. As the protesters were yelling at the deputies, they also hit and kicked their cars. As one of the deputies attempted to drive away, the car struck a woman walking in the road.
An ABC10 photojournalist captured video of what happened. Warning: The below video shows the impact and may be difficult to watch.
The woman suffered minor injuries.
The sheriff’s vehicles were left scratched and dented, and a rear window was shattered by the protesters, not the collision.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, while the sheriff’s department conducts an internal review.
Before the incident, more than 50 people were in attendance for the vigil. The crowd gathered at the corner of Florin and 65th, near the Meadowview neighborhood where Stephon Clark grew up. Many people held candles or signs that read “Justice For Stephon Zoe’ Clark.”
Dozens of drivers along the busy road either honked their horns in support or held their fists in the air when driving past the vigil. Organizers and community members shouted chants that have echoed through the streets of Sacramento since the 22-year-old’s death.
“Say his name, Stephon Clark,” attendees shouted.
Hold your phone in the air, one organizer asked the attendees.
“It’s a phone, not a gun,” the man shouted back.