Michael Donald Clark had an "almost toxic level" of methamphetamine in his system when he fired a handgun, and nearly missed a Seaside police officer last October at the Seaside Auto Mall.
Subsequently, Clark was shot eight times and killed by police.
This shooting death was one in a string of Monterey Peninsula officer-involved shootings where civilians were killed. All have been found to be justified by the Monterey County District Attorney's Office. The main argument being that the officers resorted to discharging their weapons in self-defense and defense of others.
The investigation regarding Clark's death revealed officers reacted with a "reasonable belief that [Clark] posed an imminent deadly threat."
Before Clark fired his weapon, one of the officers used his Taser and aimed it at Clark's back. It appears it was not successful because Clark pulled out his handgun immediately after. Clark was within two feet of one officer when he fired at him, "only once" he said before dying. The officer was not hit, and seconds later, the other officer fired at Clark.
The DA's investigation is not meant to review the police officer's best practices, but rather whether there is proof beyond reasonable doubt to support a conviction against the officers involved. In this case, investigators say there is not.
Clark's violent history and run-ins with the law, including swinging a sword sword in Salinas and asking officers to shoot him, beating and chocking his girlfriend, threatening to kill someone when he was denied food stamps and engaging authorities in a 12-hour standoff and threatening to blow himself up, would have been admissible in a trial.
When convicted in some of these crimes, Clark receive a sentence, which was served in a psychiatric state hospitals in lieu of prison.