The man shot and killed by police in South Sacramento Sunday night was identified by family as 23-year-old Stephen Clark.
Police say officers responded to reports that a man was breaking into cars along 29th Street in the Meadowview area.
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies in a helicopter circling overhead spotted Clark and told police that he had just picked up a toolbar and broke a window into a residence.
Officers followed him out back and they ordered him to show his hands. At that point, Clark started coming at the officers while pointing an object at them. Believing it to be a gun and fearing for their safety, the two officers fired their weapons, hitting the suspect multiple times.
He was killed in the backyard of his grandparents’ home, where his family says he was spending the night. Clark’s family says he was shot four times in the back.
His family says he was a stay-at-home father of two young sons, ages 1 and 3.
Both officers involved with the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave. One has been an SPD officer for four years, the other for two. Each had four years experience with other law enforcement agencies before joining SPD.
Body-camera footage of the shooting will be released within 30 days, per a city policy approved in November 2016.