IN COLD BLOOD
Feds eye La. police killing of pinned suspect
Federal prosecutors opened a civilrights probe Wednesday into the police slaying of a black man in Louisiana, as a disturbing video emerged of him pinned to the pavement and being blasted at point-blank range.
Baton Rouge police insisted that 37year-old Alton Sterling was armed when two white officers approached him during the confrontation early Tuesday morning.
But in two sets of videos of the shooting, Sterling cannot be seen with any weapon.
One video, posted on social media, shows an officer tackling Sterling before a second cop jumps on him, too.
It appears Sterling is flat on his back when one of the officers pulls his gun. A voice can be heard screaming, “He’s got a gun!” before shots ring out.
A second, more graphic video taken by nearby shop owner Abdullah Muflahi appears to be taken from right over the shoulder of a cop.
The camera jerks away as shots are fired, but quickly pans back to Sterling’s body as he bleeds from a gaping chest wound, with both hands open. No gun can be seen.
Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. said his officers responded to the Triple S Food Mart at about 12:35 a.m. Tuesday after a call “from someone who stated that a black male selling CDs and wearing a red sweat shirt threatened them with a gun.”
“When officers arrived, Sterling was armed and the altercation ensued that resulted in the loss of his life,” Dabadie added.
Investigators have the body cameras worn by both cops, but they were jostled during their struggle with the father of five, police said.
“That footage may not be as good as we hoped for,” said police Lt. Johnny Dunham.
Muflahi said he witnessed cops taking a gun out of Sterling’s pocket after he was shot. He said Sterling had been packing heat ever since being mugged.
Sterling’s loved ones claimed Wednesday he was the victim of a murder.
“Alton Sterling, regardless if you knew him or not, he is not what the mass media is making him out to be,” said Quinyetta McMillan, mom of Sterling’s 15-year-old son, Cameron, weeping as she spoke.
Sandra Sterling, the aunt who raised the victim, said at a rally Wednesday night that the second video sickened the family. “That second video, let me tell you, I’m mad,” she said,