2 Officers in the Death of Alton Sterling Won’t Face Criminal Charges, Says Louisiana DA
Alton Sterling, an African American, was 37 years old when he was allegedly shot six times by police officers on July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Caucasian police officers had been responding to a call regarding a man fitting Sterling’s description selling CDs outside a convenience and threatening someone with a gun. Sterling reportedly resisted arrest, and officers allegedly shot and killed him as he was on the ground. Afterward, one of the officers removed a .38 caliber handgun from Sterling’s front right pocket. On Tuesday, March 24, 2018, Louisiana authorities announced that the police officers will not be criminally charged in connection with Sterling’s death.
Protests erupted after the alleged fatal police encounter occurred. People were outraged about the alleged police shooting, and the implication was that it was racially motivated. Then, the following day, another controversial shooting of a black man occurred. Philando Castile’s death in St. Paul, Minnesota, became a high-profile case very quickly because a video of events that occurred immediately after the alleged police shooting were made public.
In the midst of public protests and demands for justice, federal authorities from the Justice Department announced in 2017 that the officers in connection with the death of Sterling would not be charged with civil rights violations. Such lawsuits are difficult to prove because a certain type of intent of officers at the time of a shooting must be proven.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said that prosecution of the officers was not pursued, based on his office’s investigation as well as an extensive review of evidence that federal authorities gathered.
As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.
–Guest Contributor
smchugh
smchugh