Eight Shots in Sacramento

Eight shots hit Stephon Clark.

Once again the news hits hard.

Eight shots out of twenty or so

Brought him down in his grandma's backyard.

 

Helicopters circled above.

Police officers on the ground,

Suspecting Clark of a crime yelled out,

"Gun! Gun!" before he was downed.

 

Clark was holding NOT a gun

But a mobile phone. Officers said

The suspect charged at them before

They hastily shot the unarmed man dead.

 

But something is fishy: Six shots hit

The man in the back. By and large,

People do NOT normally

Rush backwards when they charge.

 

In retrospect, as we piece together

The flash of events that transpired,

We learned that after Clark had fallen,

Even more shots were fired.

 

Stephon Clark is another name

To add to an ever-growing list

Of unarmed black men killed by police

Whose actions cannot be dismissed.

 

Appropriate use of force is key;

But one thing is undeniable:

We simply can't allow ourselves

To justify the unjustifiable.

 

-by Bob B (3-31-18)