In Jailhouse Interview, Stevante Clark Denies Hurting Anyone
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Stevante Clark walked through the doors of his jailhouse interview room wearing an orange jumpsuit, and a wide smile, turning to wave to the camera, before picking up the phone to talk.
He had a 30-minute exchange with CBS13's Steve Large.
"How are you doing, sir?" Stevante Clark said. "Good how are you?" Large said. "I'm holding up, I'm holding up," Clark said.
Large asked Clark about his arrest.
"You were arrested today and you're facing some serious charges," Large said. "One is for assault, and another is for vandalism, another is for threats, and another is for abusing 911. What do you say about all that?"
"I've never touched anybody in my life," Clark said.
Sacramento police arrived at Clark's home Thursday morning after a series of calls for service, reporting Clark acting erratically.
Dispatcher audio recordings describe a wild scene.
"We are getting multiple calls about it," a dispatcher said. "He's streaming it live on the internet, armed with a machete. Threatening a female at that address."
Clark paused when Large asked about that.
"What happened," Large said. "Ah, they just, you have to talk to my lawyer," Clark said.
Soon after Stevante Clark's brother, Stephon, was shot and killed by Sacramento police officers outside his grandmother's home, Stevante burst onto the national scene when he jumped on the mayor's dais and began yelling during a Sacramento City Council meeting. Hundreds packed the meeting to address concerns over the shooting. Stevonte was eventually escorted out of the courtroom.
Thursday, he said he has a love for everyone.
"Right now, everybody loves everybody," Clark said. "I'm not going to let people talk about my president, I'm not going to let anybody talk about my city, I'm not going nowhere. I'm not moving. I'm not running away."
"So you're telling me everybody loves everybody, but the police are telling the public, that you made threats against others," Clark said.
"Well, I don't care what the police told you guys, because I love everybody, even the police who said that," Clark said.
As Stephon's death became international news, Stevante's behavior has played out for the country to see. He's made several emotional appearances at rallies and at his brother's funeral that he says he was quickly criticized for.
Stephon Clark was shot and killed by Sacramento Police officers in his grandmother's backyard on March 18. Helicopter video and body camera video from the scene of the shooting showed officers pursuing Clark, then opening fire. Before firing shots, one of the officers immediately yelled "gun!" and opened fire five seconds later. They had fired an estimated 20 rounds at Clark.