No charges in police shooting of black man in Louisiana

Louisiana’s attorney general announced on Tuesday that two police officers will not face any charges in the 2016 shooting death of an African-American man in the southern US state, which sparked widespread protests.

California’s state justice department meanwhile announced that it will oversee an investigation into another controversial police shooting: that of an unarmed black man in Sacramento.

The two cases have revived concerns about police misconduct: Fatal shootings of African-American suspects in recent years have fueled a nationwide debate over race and criminal justice.

Alton Sterling, 37, was shot dead in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 5, 2016 in a scuffle with police outside a convenience store where he had been selling CDs. The shooting was captured on cellphone video.

The state’s attorney general Jeff Landry told a press conference that no legal action would be taken against officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, both of whom are white.

“Our investigation has concluded that officers Lake and Salamoni attempted to make a lawful arrest,” Varney said, adding that the decision not to file charges “was not taken lightly.”

He said Sterling was armed, under the influence of illegal drugs and had resisted efforts to arrest him.

“Throughout the encounter, the officers attempted several non-lethal techniques to gain compliance and control of Mr. Sterling’s hands,” he said.

“Their efforts to do so were a direct result of the information relayed to them by the Baton Rouge police department dispatcher – and that was that Mr. Sterling was armed with a firearm,” he said.

“Furthermore, the officers’ concern that he was armed and dangerous was in fact subsequently verified and correct.”

According to the Louisiana Justice Department report, a loaded .38 caliber handgun was found in the right front pocket of Sterling’s pants.