Sacramento Mayor Reacts Strongly When Cops Are Called Murderers At City Council Meeting

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Emotions erupted during the city council meeting Tuesday night that dipped into the morning hours over police transparency.

"I don't know whether it's late or because you are persistent," said Mayor Darrell Steinberg after a long night.

Council had to decide to approve or deny Sacramento Police request to withhold dash cam video.

Sacramento's interim police chief claimed the department needed more time to investigate the February shooting of Armani Lee.

Even the DA asked the city to withhold the video because it could jeopardize the ongoing investigation since the suspect is still alive and will face prosecution on attempted murder.

But Before Council had a chance to deny that request, the public had their say.

"Your police intentionally murdered Joseph Mann and laughed before executing him and ultimately provided the video under direct," said one woman, but the mayor spoke up.

"No. I'm not going to have you call our police officers murders," he said.

Mayor Steinberg had expressed earlier the council would deny the Police Chief's request, but the public pressed on.

"It has been proven time and time and time again," another woman said.

"Are you for or against the waiver?" Steinberg interrupted.

"This is a Brown Act violation. Don't take my time!" she claimed.

"Your time is up. Sit down," the mayor said

Councilman Jay Schenirer said the mayor was within his rights during public comment.

"I think that's when the mayor stood up and said, 'This is not acceptable. This is not what we want to teach our kids about decorum in a public space," Schenirer.

He said the unanimous decision to deny the police Chief's request was in keeping with the policy they voted on in November, which would give the department only 30 days.

"You would need a compelling reason not to release the video from either the DA or the police chief and we didn't see that compelling reason and so we thought the policy as it passes was the right way to go and we affirm that," he said.

The police department now has 10 days to make that video available. We have put in a public request to obtain it as well.