Justice passes Baton No charges for officers in death of black man
THE US Justice Department has decided not to charge two white Baton Rouge police officers in the death of a black man whose fatal shooting was captured on cellphone video.
The death fuelled major protests across the US.
Federal authorities opened a civil rights investigation immediately after last year’s July 5 police shooting, which killed 37-year-old Alton Sterling outside a convenience store where he was selling homemade CDs.
Two cellphone videos of Sterling’s struggle with two white officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, quickly spread on social media.
A police report says Sterling was initially jolted with a stun gun after he didn’t comply with commands to put his hands on the hood of a car. The report also says the officers saw the butt of a gun in one of Sterling’s pants pockets and saw him try to reach for it before he was shot.
Outside the convenience store, dozens of people gathered after hearing the fate of the officers and held a vigil. One of Alton’s aunts spoke at the vigil and led the crowd in chants of “No justice, no peace!”.
“It’s been almost a year and we’re still suffering like it happened yesterday,” one of Sterling’s aunts, Veda Sterling, said. “We need closure. We need a conviction. We need justice.”
Arthur Reed, a local activist, said he broke the news to another of Sterling’s aunts, Sandra, in a phone call after seeing the news reports.
Reed said she broke down crying and was “heartbroken,” not only because of the decision but because the Justice Department didn’t notify the family first.
No public announcement has been made and many officials in Baton Rouge said they hadn’t been notified.
Louisiana’s governor immediately requested a federal investigation.
Both officers had two prior “use of force” complaints against them, though records indicate they were cleared in all cases.