Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and the Judiciary, and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and…
Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and the Judiciary, and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I rise in remembrance of Stephon Alonzo Clark, who died on March 18, 2018 after being shot 20 times by a Sacramento Police Department officer.
I also rise to call upon the Department of Justice to investigate the use of force that took the life of Stephon Clark.
Once again I am disheartened by the shooting of yet another unarmed young man of color at the hands of law enforcement.
Stephon Clark was a proud graduate of Sacramento High School.
Stephon Clark was affectionately known as ``Big Papa'' and ``Zoe'' to his friends and family.
Stephon Clark loved to watch football and Netflix shows with his fiancee Salena Manni and their two young sons.
Stephon Clark enjoyed waking up in the morning to make oatmeal for his children before they would go to school.
Stephon Clark was only 22 years old when he was tragically shot and killed in his grandmother's backyard.
Stephon Clark laid for six minutes, bleeding to death.
As Stephon Clark drew his last breath, officers handcuffed his dying body.
Officers claim that Stephon Clark had a gun, but no weapon was found at the scene.
Stephon Clark only had a cell phone.
I have long been a strong supporter of law enforcement, and know first-hand the great work performed by officers all across the country.
But this incident raises troubling questions about the practices and policies of the Sacramento Police Department.
I am concerned that the audio on the police officers' body cameras was intentionally turned off.
This act defeats the purpose of police body cameras, erodes trust within the community and adds greater concern to an already regrettable and preventable tragedy.
Stephon Clark and the family that survives him deserve justice.
Unfortunately, this incident fits a troubling pattern.
While the names of the young men killed and the cities in which they die change, regrettably the critical facts seldom do.
Mr. Speaker, I demand that this Administration conduct a comprehensive review of this matter by all appropriate law enforcement agencies, and I call upon the United States Department of Justice to determine whether local police violated the federal civil rights of Stephon Clark.
Far too often, the demand for justice for those like Stephon Clark go unheard.
This cannot go on.
It is time to LISTEN and ACT.
That is why we in the Judiciary Committee formed the House Bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group, of which, I am a Member.
I have introduced and supported legislation to help reform how youth and juveniles are treated to reduce contact and recidivism within the juvenile and criminal justice system; to help protect them from a system that turns them into life-long offenders.
These efforts include:
H.R. 3158, ``The RAISE Act,'' which provides judges new and different options when a young offender comes before them, ensures that young offenders receive specialized programs and separate housing tailored to their needs, and advances efforts to rehabilitate them.
H.R. 3155, ``Kalief's Law,'' establishes more humane rules for young offenders and juveniles when detained or confined, particularly in the areas of pretrial detention, bail, use of force and segregation or solitary confinement.
H.R. 3156, ``Fair Chance for Youth Act,'' which creates effective opportunities for juveniles and young offenders to seal and expunge their records.
Just as we need to minimize the overcharging, wrongful conviction, and excessive incarceration of innocent people, we must address the unnecessary loss of life like that of Stephon Clark this past week in Sacramento.
We must curtail the escalation of violence that can result from police and civilian interactions.
Effective law enforcement requires the confidence of the community that the law will be enforced impartially and equally.
There is no higher priority than improving the peacefulness of these interactions and rebuilding the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect.
To address many of the current flaws, I plan to reintroduce the ``BUILD Trust Act'' which is designed to increase public confidence in local law enforcement by decreasing excessive reliance on traffic fines and court costs to fund local government.
I ask my colleagues to join me in support of these measures so that in addition to our thoughts and prayers, we take decisive action to prevent tragedies like the death of Stephon Clark from happening in the first place.
