Our Police Department pledged to our community that we would conduct a thorough investigation of the officer-involved shooting that took place on March 18, 2018, in the 7500 block of 29th Street. We recognize the impact this incident has had on our community and are committed to preventing harm or loss of life whenever possible.  Today, the U.S. Attorney and FBI concluded its investigation into this incident and released its findings.

“My heart goes out to Ms. Sequita Thompson and Ms. Sequette Clark, to Stevante Clark and to the entire Clark family. The tragedy that took place after a 911 call to our communications center will always have a profound effect on our Department and Community as a whole. We are forever dedicated to finding reasonable alternatives that may prevent similar tragedies.” – Police Chief Daniel Hahn

As we promised, the Department will continue to provide timely information and communicate openly about what occurred during this incident. Click Here to review all records and information we have released related to this investigation, including:

•12 separate press releases

•Video/audio of the incident (the most significant video was released within 72-hours of the incident)

•The official Sacramento County Coroner’s Report

•The Case Review of the Official Coroner’s report by Dr. G. Reiber

•Sacramento Police Department Preliminary Review (an initial high-level review of the incident)

•The entire police report, with all attachments (redacted to ensure privacy and confidentiality of those involved)

•All related Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) call for service logs

•Photographs taken by Crime Scene Investigators

•The entire Internal Affairs investigative report, with all attachments and referenced materials per SB 1421

•The full review and recommendations completed by the California Department of Justice

On March 27, 2018, Chief Hahn asked Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the State of California Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide a concurrent independent criminal investigation of this incident. Click Here for the press release for this announcement.

In a separate effort, DOJ, in cooperation with consultants from 21st Century Policing (21CP Solutions), conducted a comprehensive review of our current policies and procedures in the following six areas: Use of Force Polices; Use of Force Reporting and Investigation; Use of Force Training; Officer-Involved Shooting Incident Review; Personnel Complaint Procedures; and, Community Engagement and Transparency.     

On April 20, 2018, we implemented an immediate directive on muting body-worn cameras to clarify the existing policy. Prior to this, our policy did not specifically address “muting.”

On July 26, 2018, we implemented a new Foot Pursuit Policy to keep our officers and community safer. Click Here to review our Foot Pursuit Policy.

On October 25, 2018, we completed a thorough investigation of this incident and submitted the results to the Sacramento County District Attorney and the California Department of Justice for their review. Click Here for the press release for this announcement and a timeline of significant dates related to this incident.    

In January 2019, we initiated a new Research, Development and Training Division. The unit is tasked with ensuring training supports the Department’s mission and goals, identifying and evaluating equipment, and examining forward thinking techniques, methods, and national best practices.

On January 16, 2019, we implemented a new body-worn camera policy with updates and specific language detailing appropriate muting for body-worn cameras. Click Here to review our updated body-worn camera policy. 

On January 29, 2019, the California Department of Justice provided 66 recommendations to our Department. We are in the process of researching, reviewing and evaluating each individual recommendation. Click Here for the status of each recommendation.

Multiple organizations were involved in investigating the incident or reviewing different facets of our Department. These agencies and their role are listed below:

•     United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: Conducted a review of the FBI report for any civil rights violations

•      Federal Bureau of Investigation: Conducted a civil rights investigation

•      California Department of Justice, Attorney General’s Office: Completed an independent review of the Department’s criminal investigation

•      California Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigations, Special Investigations Division: Conducted an independent criminal investigation

•      California Department of Justice, Civil Rights Enforcement Division: Conducted an administrative review

•      Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office: Reviewed the criminal investigations

•      City of Sacramento, Office of Public Safety Accountability: Conducted an independent administrative review

•      Sacramento Police Department, Internal Affairs: Conducted an internal administrative review

•      Sacramento Police Department, Homicide Unit: Conducted the criminal investigation

•      Federal Department of Justice, Community Relations Service: Led a series of Neighborhood Engagement Session Talks (NEST Sessions)

•      International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): Led a focus group involving local leaders and reported findings in the TRUST Initiative Report

Click Here for the results of the Neighborhood Engagement Strategy Talks and Click Here for the TRUST Initiative Report by the IACP.

Together we will continue to find impactful ways to build trusting partnerships with our community. Click Here for a list of Sacramento Police Department Outreach Programs.

On February 12, 2019, our police management team conducted a Preliminary Review of the officer-involved shooting. The purpose of this review is to evaluate our organizational performance related to a significant event. Click Here to review the recommendations made after this review.

On March 2, 2019, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office concluded its investigation and released its findings. Click Here to review the findings.

On March 5, 2019, the State of California Department of Justice concluded its own investigation and released its findings. Click Here to review the findings.

On March 5, 2019, after the DOJ released its findings, in accordance with California Senate Bill 1421, we released the entire police report, with all attachments (redacted to ensure privacy and confidentiality of those involved), all related Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) call for service logs and photos taken by Crime Scene Investigators. Click Here for this material.

On March 5, 2019, after releasing this material, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office announced: “Now that both state and local authorities have completed their investigations into the shooting of Stephon Clark, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, in conjunction with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, will examine whether the shooting involved violations of Mr. Clark’s federal civil rights. That examination will involve a review of the substance and results of the state and local investigations, and any additional investigative steps, if warranted.” Click Here for our press release regarding this announcement.

On September 18, 2019, we updated our Use of Force Policy which includes language from AB 392. This new policy was informed by national best practices, law enforcement subject matter experts, community members, use of force policies from multiple other law enforcement agencies, the Sacramento Police Officers’ Association, the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission, and the California State Department of Justice. Click Here to review our updated Use of Force Policy.

On September 26, 2019, the U.S. Attorney and FBI concluded its investigation and released its findings. Click Here to review their findings.

On June 11, 2019, our Police Department completed a Final Policy Review to determine if the specific use of force during the incident complied with department policy. Click Here to review the findings of the Final Policy Review. We are also releasing the internal affairs investigation, including the entire report, interview recordings and transcripts, appropriate training records and materials, and all associated audio and video material. Click Here to access the material from the internal affairs investigation.

“This incident has been thoroughly investigated by law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels. Every one of these independent examinations has reached the same finding – the use of deadly force in this case was lawful. Our internal investigation concluded that there were no violations of department policy or training. Although no policy violations occurred in this incident or in the events leading up to it, we are committed to implementing strategies that may prevent similar tragedies in the future. The officers involved in this case will return to full, active duty.” -Police Chief Daniel Hahn

As our Department continues to seek and implement best practices, a number of new initiatives are being launched. The Department has partnered with the Center for Police Equity to analyze department data to determine how our procedures and practices may affect outcomes. Additionally, Stanford University will be studying interactions between officers and community members during traffic stops before and after an officer involved shooting. Finally, UC Berkeley and the American Leadership Forum will deliver innovative Implicit Bias training allowing officers and community members to participate in a multi-part course to examine bias and present solutions and improvements.

The Department has also joined in a study with the University of San Diego to examine how residents view the Sacramento Police Department. This community survey is currently in progress.

Any situation where the loss of life occurs is tragic and affects everyone who is involved. We recognize that this incident has had a significant impact on the Clark family, the employees of our Department and our Community. As we move forward, we are committed to improve as an organization. It is imperative that we always closely review our actions, evaluate how we provide services, and ensure our Community is protected and has a voice. We have worked hard to be transparent, responsible and effective. We will continue in our efforts to evolve and strive to be the best police department we can be for the City of Sacramento.