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Stephon Clark shooting: Shocking video shows unarmed black man shot dead by police who 'mistook phone for gun'

California police have released a video of the moment an unarmed black man was shot dead by officers who apparently mistook his phone for a gun.

Stephon Clark, 22, was shot 20 times in his grandparents’ backyard on Sunday night by officers who claimed they “feared for their lives”.

Sacramento police had been called to reports of a man breaking into at least three vehicles and a neighbour’s home.

Helicopter footage shows Mr Clark hopping over a fence and running into a backyard as he is pursued by police. It is difficult to make out what the father-of-two is doing.

Police released video of the fatal shooting (Sacramento Police)
Police released video of the fatal shooting (Sacramento Police)

Police body cameras show two officers run after Mr Clark with their torches and turn the corner of the house to face him in the backyard. They yell "show me your hands" and "gun" before they begin shooting.

Officers then waited five minutes, until backup arrived, before approaching Mr Clark to help him, police said.

After the shooting, investigators found a mobile phone but no firearm.

The mayor of Sacramento said on Thursday he was "horrified" by the video as the killing triggered fresh outrage at police treatment of black people across the US.

Stephon Clark was a father of two (Gofundme)
Stephon Clark was a father of two (Gofundme)

More than 200 demonstrators gathered to denounce the shooting in a protest organised by the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Like any compassionate person, I was horrified by the death of a young Sacramento man who we later found out had two kids," Mayor Darrell Steinberg said at a news conference.

"What was my reaction? It was horrible," he added.

He added that the city will review police protocol for aiding a person who is lying still.

Meanwhile protesters marched into the city hall lobby on Thursday shouting, "It's a phone, not a gun" and demanded a meeting with the police chief.

The shooting was in the backyard of Mr Clark's grandparents home, where he had been staying, according to the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office was investigating the shooting.