New Campaign Aims To Raise Awareness Of Stephon Clark Shooting

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A new campaign is aimed at calling attention to the shooting of Stephon Clark.

Activists gathered for the start of Eight Days, Eight Shots on Tuesday at Sacramento City Hall. The eight days are one for each of the shots that struck Clark.

Clark was shot to death after a brief confrontation with Sacramento Police. Officers were responding to reports of vehicles being vandalized in the area, and when a helicopter spotted Clark hopping a fence into his grandmother's backyard, two officers converged on the area and pursued him into the backyard. Within 15 seconds of first contact, one of the officers yelled "gun" and both opened fire, killing Clark.

Clark's grandmother is part of the push.

She's also hoping for healing. She spent her morning at an event for a new children's book, that talks about police shootings.

The topic can be painful, but the book is authored by three psychologists and hopes to give parents, regardless of their race, the tools they may need to talk to children about police shootings, and racism.

"They may become scared, afraid of police officers. Our book is to say police officers are human and sometimes they make mistakes," said Author Dr. Marietta Collins.

The book is called Something Happened In Our Town. It tells the story of a local police shooting that takes the life of a black man and follows two families, as they talk about the tragedy.

It's a story that comes too close to reality for Sequita Thompson, Stephon Clark's grandmother.

"Children ask questions all the time. And like Cailyn asks me why did the officers?" she said. "I say sometimes in life things aren't fair."

Cailyn Clark is her granddaughter and Stephon Clark's little sister. She sat right there listening to Dr. Collins, as she read the story.

"I feel sad because my brother passed away so basically, this book is for him," she said.