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Stephon Clark's Family Talks Of Change Three Years Later

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It's been three years since police and shot and killed an unarmed black man in his grandmother's backyard.

The shooting death of Stephon Clark sparked outrage across the country. Officers mistook his cell phone for a gun as he ran from them.

On Thursday, the Clark family spoke on the legacy Stephon leaves behind.

"It hurts because we're working so hard," said Stevante Clark, Stephon's brother.

He spoke with CBS13 about the change since Stephon's death. Officers must now follow "Stephon's Law" which says police can only using deadly force when "necessary" instead of when "reasonable."

Police also can't shoot fleeing felons who don't pose an immediate danger.

Law Enforcement Expert John McGinness says it won't make any change when it comes to the police response.

"After a series of machinations of the change to the law, it's just a distinction without a difference," said McGinness.

In 2020 the world saw George Flloyd killed in police custody in Minneapolis, and Breonna Taylor, a black medical worker, shot and killed by Louisville police.

As protestors called for justice filled the streets across the country, the Clark family says they take those incidents personally.

"My job is to prevent things like what happened to Stephon from happening again, It feels like I'm failing my job," Stevante Clark said.

CBS13 asked criminal justice professor, Dr. Shelby Moffatt, what's changed in the three years since Stephon's death.

Dr. Moffatt says communities are asking questions now more than before, documenting tragedy and now paying attention.

"Unfortunately, we keep having these conversations. We talked about Stephon Clark three years ago, and we're talking about George Floyd now. I don't know if it will ever go away. It's how we respond and react to it has changed," he said.

The Clark family is now opening a new community resource center called "Stephon's House." They plan to shuttle young people across the Sacramento area to the center.

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