SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN MAKING HEADLINES FOR POLICE
BRUTALITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
MORE RECENTLY A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF STEPHON CLARK WAS
WRONGFULLY SHOT AND KILLED BY POLICE IN THE AREA.
THEY HAD MISTOOK HIM FOR A BURGLARY SUSPECT.
THEY RAN AFTER HIM INTO HIS OWN BACKYARD AND PROCEEDED TO
FIRE BULLETS IN HIS DIRECTION.
AN INDEPENDENT AUTOPSY SHOWED THAT HE WAS SHOT SIX TIMES
IN THE BACK.
SO HE WAS RUNNING AWAY FROM COPS BUT HE WAS INNOCENT.
HE WAS NOT GUILTY OF ANY CRIME.
HE HAD A CELL PHONE, RIGHT?
COPS BELIEVED THAT CELL PHONE WAS A GUN.
BUT AGAIN, AN INNOCENT HUMAN WHO DID NOT DESERVE TO GET SHOT.
PEOPLE WERE WONDERING IS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY GOING TO BRING
CHARGES AGAINST THE COPS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS CASE?
ACCORDING TO THIS INCREDIBLE REPORTING, IF YOU SEE SOME OF
THE FINANCIAL INFLUENCES THAT DRIVE THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN
SACRAMENTO YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WOULD NOT BRING CHARGES
AGAINST THESE COPS.
BEFORE WE GET THE DETAILS I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE VIDEO OF WHAT
HAPPENED WITH STEPHON CLARK, THIS IS DIFFICULT TO WATCH
SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU WARNING.
TAKE A LOOK.
SHOW YOUR HANDS.
GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.
SHOTS FIRED, SUSPECT DOWN.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS AN MARINE.
IF YOU THOUGHT THE CASE REGARDING STEPHON CLARK IS
DESPICABLE WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR SOME OF THE OTHER INSTANCES OF
POLICE BRUTALITY WHERE ANNE-MARIE DID NOT BRING
ANY CHARGES.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS WHO IS FUNDING HER CAMPAIGN?
SO ALL OF THAT WOULD MAKE ONE
BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A
CORRUPTING INFLUENCE HERE.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS DONATED TO HER
RIGHT AFTER THE SHOOTING OF STEPHON CLARK?
DAYS AFTER HE
WAS KILLED SHE CAME UNDER FIRE ñ AGAIN THESE CONTRIBUTIONS REMAIN
DAYS FOLLOWING THE SHOOTING OF STEPHON CLARK.
THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH MONEY AND POLITICS AND WITH A SYSTEM
SO AWASH IN MONEY THAT IT IS UNABLE TO SEE CLEARLY A
SITUATION THAT SHOULD REPRESENT THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO RINGS
BEING ADJUDICATED OR INVESTIGATED OR RESOLVED IN
AN EQUITABLE WAY.
WHAT YOU END UP WITH IS SO MUCH MONEY IN THE SYSTEM THAT IT
WOULD CLOUD IT.
ALTHOUGH THIS LOOKS AS THOUGH IT IS PAID TO PLAY.
AS ANA SAYS, LEANING TOWARD LAW ENFORCEMENT IS PROBABLY
SOMETHING THAT GOVERNMENT DOES GENERALLY BUT THIS APPEARS TO BE
BOUGHT AND SOLD BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S JUST HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE THESE ARE
LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD COPS
ACCOUNTABLE FOR USING EXCESSIVE FORCE.
IF THEY ARE IN CAHOOTS WITH POLICE ORGANIZATIONS AND IF
THERE IS THIS CORRUPTING FACTOR THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO HOPE
OF REAL JUSTICE BEING SERVED.
THAT IS THE PEOPLE'S DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
ANA IS MAKING AN IMPORTANT POINT.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE IS YOUR ADVOCATE AGAINST SOME BIG
INSTITUTIONS LIKE COPS.
COPS MAKE MISTAKES.
I MEAN THEY DON'T GO OUT TO GO SHOOT A GUY
DEAD
BUT STILL WHEN THAT HAPPENS THERE HAS TO BE AN
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION.
THE REALITY IS NONE OF US ARE SAFE FROM THIS TYPE OF EXCESSIVE
FORCE AND BRUTALITY IF WE ALLOW FOR THIS TYPE OF CORRUPTION TO
TAKE PLACE IN OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE.
WE ESSENTIALLY END UP HAVING AN INJUSTICE SYSTEM.
THE STEPHON CLARK STORYIS GUTWRENCHING BUT IT IS JUST ONE
STORY AND A HISTORY OF INJUSTICES IN SACRAMENTO
COUNTY LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
THE COPS IN THIS INSTANCE ARGUED THAT THE MAN WAS CHARGING
AT THEM.
EVEN IF A MENTALLY ILL HOMELESS MAN WAS CHARGING OUT THEM THEY
ARE STILL IN A CAR.
AN INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT HE ACTUALLY DID NOT CHARGE AT
THEM, HIS FEET WERE STUCK IN POSITION.
THEY CLAIMED HE WAS LEAPING AT THEM AND SO THAT IS WHITE HIS
FEET REMAINED WHERE THEY WERE.
JUST IN CASE IT WASN'T CLEAR, NO CHARGES WERE BROUGHT AGAINST
THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT ATTEMPTED TO RUN OVER
JOSEPH MANN.
IT IS INCREDIBLE WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THESE
SPECIFIC STORIES IN ALL OF THESE CASES OF BRUTALITY AND THE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY DID NOTHING.
AND WHY WOULD SHE?
A HUGE CHUNK OF HER FUNDING COMES FROM POLICE ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU JUST FEEL AS THOUGH SHE HAS BEEN SOLD TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
IN THIS CASE AND ANNA MAKES AN IMPORTANT CASE.
NOT ALL LAW-ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL.
YOU END UP WITH THE HIGHLY TRAINED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
WHO DE-ESCALATE SITUATIONS AND WORK ON THE NOTION THAT THEY
SHOULD HAVE RESTRAINT AND WORK TO DE-ESCALATE.
AND BAD THINGS HAPPEN.
IN ANY CASE, IN THE CASE OF ERROR, MISDEEDS, OR AGGRESSION
WITH COPS TAKING OUT A MENTALLY ILL HOMELESS MAN, YOU NEED AN
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION AND THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE
COUNTING ON FROM THE PEOPLE'S ATTORNEY.
IN THIS CASE, THE PEOPLE'S ATTY.'S OFFICE APPEARS TO
HAVE BEEN SOLD.
IF YOU DO A QUICK OVERVIEW ñ
THAT IS CRAZY.
THINK ABOUT THAT.
LET'S LEAVE THE SHOOTINGS OUT.
NOW YOU HAVE APPREHENDED SOMEONE AND ARE IN POLICE CUSTODY.
YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT THERE WAS NO INVESTIGATION THAT IS
GOING TO LEAD TO PROSECUTION OF ANY KIND?
EVEN THE INTEREST OF
TRANSPARENCY YOU WOULD THINK YOU WOULD WANT SOME DEGREE OF EVEN A
SMALL PERCENTAGE OF ñ IT IS AMAZING.
THE STEPHON CLARK THING IS SORT OF JUST ONE MORE THING.
THE HISTORY OF THIS DA IS SCARY.
I REALLY WANT TO ELABORATE AND BUTTRESS YOUR POINT BECAUSE
AGAIN I HAVE MADE THIS POINT BUT I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE IT
AND DRIVE IT HOME ñ A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY
SOMEONE WHO WAS INNOCENT LIKE STEPHON CLARK WOULD RUN AWAY
FROM
COPS AS THEY APPROACH HIM.
IF ALL THE SHOOTINGS KEEP HAPPENING
AND THERE IS NO JUSTICE FOLLOWING THAT, WOULDN'T YOU BE
SCARED TOO?
WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO RUN AWAY?
IT IS A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION.
UNFORTUNATELY HE LOST HIS LIFE AND AGAIN HE DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING WRONG.
YOU HEAR ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT BLACK
FAMILIES ARE HAVING WITH THEIR KIDS ABOUT HOW TO TALK TO A
POLICE OFFICER.
I THINK IF YOU ARE NOT A PERSON OF COLOR IT IS HARD TO RELATE TO
THAT.
YOU UNDERSTAND IT BUT REALLY THINKING THAT IT COULD BE A LIFE
OR DEATH SITUATION EVERY TIME YOU HAVE AN INTERACTION WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THOSE OF US WHO ARE
NOT PEOPLE OF COLOR DON'T HAVE A WINDOW ON.
WHAT ANNA IS TALKING ABOUT IS A REAL SCARE THAT FAMILIES IN THIS
COUNTRY ARE FACING AND IN COMMUNITIES THAT YOU THINK
WOULD NOT HAVE PROBLEMS.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SACRAMENTO HAS THIS ISSUE.
I ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT IT SEEMS LIKE IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS
THE PERSON WHO IS DEALING WITH COPS CAN'T WIN.
YOU THINK OF PHILANDO CASTILE AND HOW HE DID COMPLY.
HE WAS DIFFERENTIAL EVEN DOUBT
AND HE SO GOT SHOT.
HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS IN THE CAR, ALSO COMPLIED AND REMAIN CALM
EVEN AFTER HER BOYFRIEND WAS SHOT AND KILLED RIGHT IN FRONT
OF HER, AND THEY STILL PUT HER IN HANDCUFFS AFTER THAT.
YOU HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF IN OTHER PEOPLE'S SHOES AND
UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION.
IF YOU WANT ANOTHER SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF THIS DISTRICT
ATTORNEY REFUSING TO DO HER JOB BECAUSE SHE IS CAUGHT BY POLICE
INTERESTS IN THIS CASE, APPARENTLY THERE WAS A
CALIFORNIA STATE AUDITOR WHO DEMANDED THAT SHE FILE
MISDEMEANOR CHARGES AGAINST THE SHERIFF WHO THIS DISTRICT
ATTORNEY IS IN CAHOOTS WITH.
THE SHERIFF IS SCOTT JONES, AND HE IS SHADY.
ACCORDING TO THE
REPORT ñ GUESS WHAT JONES AND I HAD TO DEAL
WITH ANY CHARGES.
IN THAT CASE SHE SHOULD'VE RECUSED HERSELF BECAUSE SHE
OBVIOUSLY HAS A VERY COZY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SHERIFF
FINANCIALLY SPEAKING.
ALL THIS MONEY IS POURING INTO A REELECTION CAMPAIGN, SHE
SHOULD BE RECUSING HERSELF LEFT AND RIGHT.
WE WILL CALL HER WHEN WE NEED HER.
INSTEAD SHE IS THE LAST WORD ON WHETHER THESE CASES GO TO
PROSECUTION.
I WANT PEOPLE IN SACRAMENTO TO KEEP IN MIND THAT SHE HAS
AN ELECTED POSITION.
I KNOW IT IS HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF EVERYTHING GOING ON.
WE NEED VOTERS TO RISE UP AND ELECT HER OUT OF THIS POSITION.
SHE IS CORRUPT AND HAS NO INTEREST IN JUSTICE AND HAS
NO REASON TO BE IN THAT
POSITION.