The brother of police shooting victim Stephon Clark was arrested Thursday, April 19, on four allegations, including suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and making threats, Sacramento County jail records show. He’s also accused of abusing a 911 emergency line.
Sacramento police arrested Stevante Clark, 25, just after 10 a.m. Thursday following days of rising conflict between him and his roommates, the Sacramento Bee reported. Clark and the couple share a home in North Sacramento.
Court records show the girlfriend sought a restraining order against Clark on Wednesday after he allegedly threatened her life. Her request was granted. According to Sgt. Vance Chandler, local authorities had been “… actively receiving information and conducting an ongoing investigation” that led to Thursday’s arrest. Police responded to the Sacramento home on Acacia Avenue in connection with Clark within the past week, he said.
Clark is currently ineligible for bail, according to the newspaper.
The 25-year-old was thrust into the spotlight last month after his brother was gunned down by Sacramento officers in their grandparents’ backyard. Clark has been an outspoken voice in the demand for justice for his slain brother, however, his public outbursts and sometimes erratic behavior have caused worry for some. Family and friends say the March 18 shooting is the source of Clark’s mental instability, which they’ve described as a “call for help.”
“At this point, it’s a processing of his grief as well as continued mental health issues that he’s not addressing,” Sonia Lewis, a Clark relative and BLM-Sacramento activist, told the Sacramento Bee.
Alejandro Reylon Rouska and his girlfriend, who rented a room in their home to Clark back in January, expressed the same concern, describing the young man as “unstable” since his brother’s shooting death.
Rouska said his girlfriend had asked Clark to stop shouting at police through his bedroom window on Monday. He said Clark grew angry at the request and continued threatening his girlfriend into Tuesday morning. The couple called police multiple times after Clark refused to leave and sought a restraining order. They eventually fled the home and slept at a hotel for two nights.
“The moment you threaten my (girlfriend’s) life, we have to do something,” Rouska told the newspaper.
On Thursday, police responded to reports of a man on Acacia Avenue who was wearing a bulletproof vest and hitting nearby cars with a shovel. According to police dispatch audio, the suspect was also trying to block a portion of the road using garbage cans.
” … Our friend from 970 Acacia was seen putting on a bulletproof vest on Facebook Live yesterday, just FYI,” an officer is heard saying over the radio, referencing a video posted to Clark’s Facebook page.
“Looks like we’re getting multiple calls about it, he’s streaming it live on the internet, armed with a machete threatening a female at that address,” a dispatcher reports.
By 10:15, Clark was arrested without incident at the scene. His first court appearance is scheduled for Friday, April 20.
