Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry delivered a crushing blow to Alton Sterling’s family on Tuesday (March 27). The African-American father of five was shot and killed by two white police officers in July 2016 after they accused him of reaching for a gun.
The Attorney General has announced the officers won’t face federal murder charges for Sterling’s death.
According to CNN, Landry wrote in the state report, “We have concluded that the officers in question acted as reasonable officers under existing law and were justified in their use of force.”
Sterling was standing outside of a Baton Rouge convenience store selling CDs when the incident occurred. Video of the shooting sparked outrage across the country, and yielded countless Black Lives Matter and Hip Hop community protests.
Landry reportedly said he drew his conclusion from the federal investigation and interviews with his department’s eyewitnesses. Two use-of-force experts told the Justice Department the shooting was “reasonable.”
Sterling’s family was reportedly emotional leaving Landry’s office. Sterling’s aunt Veda Washington said, “They’re not going to bring charges on anybody. Why would they do that? This is white America.”
Attorneys for Sterling’s family is calling for Landry to be voted out of office for what he called a “biased decision.”
“It takes courage … to fight for justice; we didn’t see that in this situation,” attorney Chris Stewart said. “But that’s fine, because … we know what the repercussion is: Getting you out of office.”
Sterling’s autopsy revealed he had several illicit drugs in his system, including cocaine, hydrocodone and methamphetamine, which Landry believes escalated the situation.
“Considering this, it is reasonable that Mr. Sterling was under the influence, and that contributed to his noncompliance,” Landry said.
But Stewart added every action was “initiated by the officers” and Officer Blane Salamoni’s threat to shoot Sterling in the head was “not the behavior that any officer should have.”
Sterling’s five children have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Officer Salamoni, the shooter, and Officer Howie Lake II. [apple_news_ad type=”any”]
What is there to expect it happens all the time. There is a solution to this but people don’t listen.
You’re right it’s called listen to directions that officers give you and comply. If all of them did that they’d still be here with us today. They might be locked up but still here. We all need to take responsibility for our actions and stop blaming others.
I agree with that. These kind of articles whether they know it or not are inciting more violence against civilians. Our politicians and celebrities are encouraging it. Because they aren’t going to have to deal with it. Keep rioting and looting. There are people who are tired of it, and people in their homes who have the mean time defend their property and livelihoods. You will he surprised on what’s not getting reported with looters who are meeting resistance and are surprised by it. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m not going to be a victim of this senseless violence. Don’t matter who you are.
You mean comply like all of those white people I see on worlds craziest chases who not only dont comply but in most cases assault the office with hands or with their cars. Someone none of them end up dead. I wonder why that is? But a black dude selling loosies or a black dude selling DVDs somehow end up dead after already being subdued. I don’t understand why you racists come to a hip hop site and try to spread this garbage. Dont you have a KKK site you can vist? Complex. You need to be better.
They end up dead ALL THE TIME DUMMY! Keep being a racist victim begging for handouts. We all see what’s really going on here.
So they’re shocked that their family member was being arrested for menacing with a gun and then resisted arrest and ended up getting shot while trying to pull his gun out of his pocket while fighting the cops?? Wow.. I guess it’s no surprise Alton grew up to be a failure then.. #AppleDoesntFallFarFromTheTree And HipHopDX, let’s stop the nonsense, “police officers accused him of reaching for a gun”? Why leave it up for interpretation when it is clear in the videos that IS what happened. It’s not just an accusation, it’s fact. Some police shootings are questionable, but this one clearly isn’t and Alton Sterling is absolutely no martyr.
EXCESSIVE LETHAL FORCE is the key issue here. He WAS restrained and subdued, on the ground, pinned down, his weapon out of reach. The officers could/should have chosen to shoot his HAND, his ARM, his SHOULDER, or any non-life-threatening body part that would prevent acquisition of his gun if they truly feared for their lives. THEY opted to fire SIX TIMES hitting him in his HEAD- a clear use of LETHAL FORCE- and absolutely NO charges were filed, not even “assault”!! This is truly a no-brainer… No pun intended!
Yo mane these devils is errverywhurr.
Anybody calling racism because of Alton Sterling is shitting on Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and the other black victims who were innocent. Don’t confuse a lunatic coke addict with regular Living While Black murdered people.
Your a self hater. U hate ur own kind? White people taught u that some or most blacks no matter the situation should be judged harshly because we just deserve this? Love yourself and your brothers more
The man clearly loves himself and his brothers, which is why he doesn’t want to see them lumped in with this guy.
Michael Brown?? You mean the kid on video who robbed from the store and whose own friend & forensics proved he assaulted the cop? That guy?? Nah, don’t lump that kid or Alton Sterling in with the rest of the hard working, law abiding brothers out here……
Wasn’t Martin killed by a neighborhood watch civilian and not an officer? So how is he lumped in with the others?
The officers dindu n u f f i n they good boys
Black families have been torn apart by the Demonrat party. No fathers present is a big problem. Biden wants you all back in chains. Stop and look in the mirror, racists, before you blame whitey for everything. You dumbasses keep voting in poverty pimps like Maxine Waters and Piglosi and wonder why you’re in the dumps? Look around you, you practically live in Guatemala now and they have more rights than you without being legal citizens. All your own fault. Vote better next time.
That can’t be truer. Malcom X didn’t trust the democrat party.
I can’t say I surprised by some of the comments here. But let’s not Donald Trump the facts. Those of us in Louisiana that saw all videos from various angles know that at the time Alton Sterling was shoot he was in NO and I mean NO way reaching for a gun or could reach for a gun. One officer was laying on his left arm while in the freeze shot of the video you see his right hand under the car. FACTS… With that being said regardless of his personal activities (drug use, etc.) he did not threaten the officers in any matter that requires death!!!!
Not facts. You’re fill of shit. He had a gun in his pocket and was CLEARLY RESISTING ARREST AFTER BEING TAZED AND PEPPER SPRAYED. He got what any man of any race in his situation would have gotten.
I remember this. I this dude was a convicted felon IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM! Funny how no one denied he had a gun on him, or that the gun was his. Dude was over 6 foot tall and weighed way over 300 lbs. the cops got a call that a large black man with a red shirt on was selling BOOTLEG CD’s ILLEGALLY out in front of a business that wasn’t his. Someone told him not to, and he flashed a gun at them. The cops rolled up and told him to get in the ground. He said he wouldn’t and kept asking what he did. He knew he had a gun on him, if they searched him he was going BACK to prison, i.e. he’d been before. The cops said to get on the ground or they pepper spray him. They did. That didn’t work. The. They threatened to taze him. They did. That also didn’t work. A cop then TACKLED him and he was still not complying while on the ground. A cop REPEATEDLY told him to stay still and stop reaching in his pockets and squirming around. He didn’t listen. The result is another dead human. Stupid really. You know you’re posted up dirty, breaking the law, take your licks. Sit down I. Prison for a bit and live to fight another day. This is 100% Alton’s fault. This is one of the MANY cases of BLM being full of shit, and claiming racism has some part in a convicted criminal who wouldn’t CO moly’s demise. I would sweep this one under the rug. It makes the entire movement look ridiculous.
Whether he was right or wrong he deserved due process in court like every American and the excessive force that took his life was unwarranted. That is not debatable considering all the facts. The police were not in danger. Being agitated does not mean your life is at risk.
When you are a convicted felon in possession of a firearm that is resisting arrest, you DON’T have rights until you are in custody. He got what he deserved. Open and shut case. Next.
You clearly don’t know the FACTS of this situation. The owners of this store allow people to sell movies and music in front of their neighborhood store still to this day, and he had permission to do so. On any given day there’s a table out front filled with CDs and DVDs and they even bring a portable canopy on hot days. It has been said that someone SAW a gun on him, not that he was threatening anyone- that’s NOT the type of hood where that’s a safe nor smart thing to do! Sure he was a felon in possession of a firearm, sure he had a criminal record; however, NONE of that was known when officers arrived on the scene. Yes he was not compliant and yes he had drugs in his system, another thing they could not have known. But he was resisting because he had permission to be there and he was being told the opposite which was confusing and infuriating as the situation escalated. Once he was detained and subdued, he was still struggling, clearly both afraid and angry because he was in pain after being wrestled to the ground. It’s hard enough for a large man to breathe lying flat in a comfy BED much less on concrete held down by several men… But his weapon was well out of his reach and he was restrained- it would’ve been a fatal move to attempt to even TOUCH his gun and he was well aware of that and clearly outnumbered. The ONLY force necessary was enough to SUBDUE him, NOT END HIS LIFE!! If they feared him grabbing his weapon, they could’ve chosen to shoot his HAND, his SHOULDER… They fired 5-6 times, shooting him in his HEAD!!! If that is not EXTREME MEASURES in your mind I don’t know what it would take to qualify. I live in BR and I frequent that little store, Triple S on N Foster. The owners and staff are cool and down to earth and the customers all get along regardless of origins. There is a huge mural of Alton on the front of the shop surrounded with many messages written to him and the neighboring brick building has many murals and art all in homage to Alton and the ongoing struggle facing the community. Our city suffered for weeks after this, and rogue animals who weren’t even locals shot several officers and deputies, killing three in retaliation. It’s probably best not to go on and on about things you’ve “heard” and insert your opinion about it. We’ve LIVED it and it’s sadly never ending. We’ve held PEACEFUL protests for several days/nights here even despite our own recent similar tragedies because we’re attempting to heal by coming together and growing stronger through it all. Our cops are keeping respectable distances from the crowds and lowering their shields, a show of support and understanding as our citizens show OUR support for those still hurting like we did nearly four years ago. It definitely did NOT help that these officers faced no charges nor even a trial; however, everyone held their heads (and fists) up with dignity despite the weak and soft decision not to prosecute. Those who continue to stir the shit should really sit back and LISTEN rather than flapping off about things they don’t know, taking a lesson from those in the thick of it and going in grace.
They interviewed the store owner when this happened. He WAS NOT GIVEN PERMISSION to sell ILLEGAL BOOTLEG CD’s, dumbass. He DID have a gun on him. Even his family admitted that. They found ammunition and the case for his gun at his home during the investigation. HE WAS A CONVICTED FELON ON POSSESSION OF A FIREARM. The original unedited video still exists where the police PULL THE GUN FROM HIS POCKET after he was shot. A gun that had HIS FINGERPRINTS ON IT with the corresponding CASE FOR TGE GUN at his home. LOL. Nice try race baiter.
THEN TAKE HIM TO JAIL!!! YOU FUCKING RACIST DIP SHIT…JUST LIKE MISTER MASS SHOOTER, TAKE HIM TO JAIL! DON’T KILL HIM, YOU SICK FUCKS
In BR? As in Brazil? LOL
No one can give you permission to sell illegal bootleg CD’s jackass. It’s a crime. The owner of the store said he had zero permission. It would be him admitting guilt to say he turned a blind eye to it. Dude was a convicted felon, commuting a crime that was resisting arrest while armed. The police released the 911 call of a large black man, with a red shirt flashed a pistol in front of X store while selling illegal bootleg DVDs and CDs. The gun was described as a small pocket pistol. The exact same gun removed from his pocket in front of witnesses that a matching case an ammo were found in his home for. His family ADMITTED it was his gun, and the police arrested the man who SOLD IT to him. The man pled guilty. LOL.
Don’t forget he weighed over 300lbs and was over 6 feet tall.
I can see a lot of people on here are speaking and is not from Baton Rouge… I lived right around the corner from that store…..and the facts are he did have permission… He had been selling there for years… And if you knew the Arabs that own that store u would know nobody is gonna be on their business grounds making money and running a business if they didnt allow or okay it. Thats first…and yes this neighborhood is rough so its smart no matter what u think bc u wanna provide for your family and make it home….
Next its so much judgement on here about drugs
When have of u smoke whether cigarettes or weed… Drink until u don’t realize u may have hit your limit bc its legal to drink but that can hurt u and others as well….
Some of y’all talk prescribed meds to deal with everyday life…Umm its all the same..
Have of u have a weapon whether registered or not and for whatever reason so please. Stop…
Some of yall hunt and shit and would use to weapons for more than hunting if u felt the need to…Recond ok did his time have of yall have done something wrong in life whether it was a lie or something else….Bc u human and had to do it to learn…U just didn’t get caught…Should u stay labeled a cheater, lier, disrespectful, physically or verbally abuse if u starting changing and becoming better…Its so easy to go negative and stay their…Then give chances, be positive, and remembering Morals and having Humanity!!!
We all are Not the Same….But we stay strong and be Protector…