Stephon Clark will be laid to rest today, reports ABC News.
The public funeral, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. PT, will occur as protests continue over the shooting of the unarmed father of two. Reverend Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy.
Clark was killed Mar. 18 when Sacramento Police Department deputies shot at him 20 times in his grandmother’s backyard. Initial reports said the police believed Clark was holding a gun, then later alleged they believed it was a “tool bar." Only a cellphone was found next to his body.
Police were on the scene after they received a call saying a black male was breaking into cars in the neighborhood. The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on leave, and the incident remains under investigation.
Protests have been ongoing since the shooting made news. Stephon’s brother, Stevante, and a group of protesters disrupted a city council meeting on Tuesday night. He led chants, jumped onto the dais and told mayor Darrell Steinberg to “shut up.”
Stevante later apologized for his behavior.
“What I want to do, first off, is apologize to the mayor," he said. "I couldn't imagine someone disrespecting me like that in front of my family. He's a grown man. He deserves respect. I want to apologize sincerely to him, you know. I embarrassed myself in front of my mother."
Other family members have been calling for peace amid the unrest.
“We're not mad at all the law enforcement. We're not trying to start a riot," Shernita Crosby, Stephon Clark's aunt, told the Tyler Morning Telegraph. "What we want the world to know is that we got to stop this because black lives matter."
His cousin, Suzette Clark, hopes the funeral service will bring unity to Sacremento.
“I just hope it can bring people together," she said. "Emotions are heightened, but I just hope everyone comes and shows compassion."