Louisiana will not charge police in Alton Sterling shooting

[webfact]

Louisiana will not charge police in Alton Sterling shooting

By Jon Herskovitz

 

A boy sits next to a makeshift memorial outside the Triple S Food Mart where Alton Sterling was fatally shot by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. July 7, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman/Files

 

(Reuters) - Louisiana will not charge two white police officers who in 2016 fatally shot Alton Sterling, one of series of black men slain by police that sparked protests across the United States, because evidence showed their actions were justified, a state official said on Tuesday.

 

Sterling's death in Baton Rouge helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement and inflamed a national debate over racial bias in U.S. policing.

 

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, said Baton Rouge officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake had good reason to believe Sterling, 37, was armed with a gun and was resisting arrest.

 

"Our investigation has concluded that officers Lake and Salamoni attempted to make a lawful arrest of Alton Sterling based upon probable cause," Landry told a news conference.

 

Civil rights activists contend the officers escalated tensions during the arrest in a convenience store parking lot, turning it into a deadly encounter.

 

"He was murdered by two white racist police officers. He was murdered like an animal," Sterling's aunt, Veda Washington-Abusaleh, told reporters in video posted on social media by local media.

 

Landry told reporters the two Baton Rouge officers gave verbal instructions and tried non-lethal methods to subdue Sterling, who did not comply.

 

Sterling was shot outside the store on July 5, 2016, after a resident reported he had been threatened by a black man selling CDs. Police said Sterling was trying to pull a loaded gun out of his pocket when Salamoni opened fire.

 

"There was never any criminal activity here. It was an unfortunate situation but it was a justified shooting," John McLindon, an attorney for Salamoni, said in a telephone interview.

 

L. Chris Stewart, an Atlanta-based lawyer representing Sterlings’ relatives, said the family was disappointed by the decision.

 

“This case did not even go to a grand jury, which would have allowed the citizens of Baton Rouge to decide this. It takes courage and we just didn’t see that in this situation,” he said in a telephone interview.

 

In June 2017, Sterling's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, alleging a history of excessive-force and racism toward African-Americans.

 

Democratic Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said state prosecutors had followed the law in evaluating the case. He supported calls for the Baton Rouge Police Department to conduct a review to determine if disciplinary action should be taken.

 

"We owe this final review to the Baton Rouge community and the Sterling family," he said in a statement.

 

The two officers are on paid administrative leave, Salamoni's lawyer said.

 

The Sterling shooting prompted nationwide protests, including a demonstration two days later in Dallas where five law enforcement officers were fatally shot by an African-American ex-serviceman.

 

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; editing by Scott Malone and Dan Grebler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-28

[Get Real]

That will certainly stir up the oceans of fury again.

[DM07]

Surpriiiiiiiiiiise!

[Kitmakmak]

 

Police were called because he was threatening another man with a gun (1:30AM)

He resisted arrest.

Officer used a stun gun, but it failed to take him down.

He had a gun in his pocket.

He tried 3 times to pull the gun out of his pocket so he could shoot the policeman. The officer having to physically block each attempt.

The officer couldn't physically restrain him any longer, so he had to shoot him or be shot himself.

Toxicology report showed he was high on multiple drugs.

[Jonnapat]

How very ,very typlcal. Who would have expected any other conclusion 

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, Kitmakmak said:

 

Police were called because he was threatening another man with a gun (1:30AM)

He resisted arrest.

Officer used a stun gun, but it failed to take him down.

He had a gun in his pocket.

He tried 3 times to pull the gun out of his pocket so he could shoot the policeman. The officer having to physically block each attempt.

The officer couldn't physically restrain him any longer, so he had to shoot him or be shot himself.

Toxicology report showed he was high on multiple drugs.

 

Thank you for posting the actual facts.

 

Of course, they'll be ignored by those who just want to bash the USA or American police officers.

[Different]

White cops genocide against blacks continues, and those who defend white cops are murderers  like them.

Edited March 28, 2018 by Different

[Different]

I'm sorry but black Americans are legal target for most white cops who are protected by the corrupt system.

[rockingrobin]

On 3/28/2018 at 3:29 PM, Kitmakmak said:

 

Police were called because he was threatening another man with a gun (1:30AM)

He resisted arrest.

Officer used a stun gun, but it failed to take him down.

He had a gun in his pocket.

He tried 3 times to pull the gun out of his pocket so he could shoot the policeman. The officer having to physically block each attempt.

The officer couldn't physically restrain him any longer, so he had to shoot him or be shot himself.

Toxicology report showed he was high on multiple drugs.

The cctv evidence is very clear.

The officer charging at the guy escalated the situation

 

[Kitmakmak]

Escalated the situation? Opinions will vary.

 

And what was the situation again?

 

A career criminal selling drugs at 1:30 AM and threatening another man with a gun.

They were attempting to arrest him- it is not legal to threaten to kill someone.

He clearly resisted arrest. He wasn't taken down by the taser.

What should they have done next? Just say, "never mind, have a good day"?

If the man did not threaten to kill another man, the police would not have been called.

If he did not resist arrest, he would be alive today.

 

Records show that Sterling was a registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal record that included convictions for weapons offenses, confrontations with police officers, property crimes, and domestic violence and other batteries.

 

Here’s what we know about his criminal history:

---

Summary of Offenses

The documents in Sterling’s Baton Rouge court file show Sterling was accused of these offenses (some are convictions, some only arrests, some were dismissed and a few are traffic matters. The dates represent date of offense):

• Simple battery (dismissed) (Nov. 24, 1996)
• Simple battery – dismissed (Oct. 28, 1997)
• Simple burglary of inhabited dwelling (May 5-15, 2005) request for arrest warrant
• Felony theft (May 5-15, 2005) request for arrest warrant
• Simple burglary (amended to illegal possession of stolen things – guilty plea) (May 24, 2005)
• Aggravated battery (amended to simple battery – guilty plea) (March 6, 2006)
• Simple criminal damage to property – guilty plea (March 6, 2006)
• Unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling (amended to disturbing the peace – guilty plea) (March 6, 2006)
• Expired driver’s license (March 21, 2008)
• Driver’s license issue (hard to read document) (2008)
• Domestic abuse battery – pleaded guilty (March 31, 2008)
• Illegal carrying weapons with controlled dangerous substance – pleaded guilty (May 29, 2009)
• Felon in possession of a firearm – dismissed (May 29, 2009)
• Contempt of court – (Aug. 10, 2009) – Guilty plea
• Fail to use seat belt (Feb. 5, 2014)
• Fail to renew registration (Feb. 5, 2014)
• Failure to comply with sex offender registration (Aug. 11, 2015) – Forfeiture
• Possession of a schedule 1 drug, (April4-5, 2016) – no conclusion
• Possession of marijuana first offense. (April 5, 2016) – no conclusion
  
  Arrest – probable cause affidavits:
• Trespassing (Aug. 25, 1996)
• Damage to property (2 counts) (Aug. 25, 1996)
• Criminal mischief (Aug. 25, 1996)
• Illegally possess weapon (Aug. 25, 1996)
• Aggravated burglary (Aug. 27, 1996)
• Public intimidation, 2 counts (April 24, 2000)
• Criminal damage to property (March 4, 2006)
• Simple robbery (March 4, 2006)
• Theft under $500 (March 4, 2006)
• Possession of marijuana (March 4, 2006)
• Misrepresentation during booking (March 4, 2006)
• Simple battery (March 4, 2006)
• Aggravated burglary (March 4, 2006)
• Resisting an officer by force (May 29, 2009)
• Possession marijuana (May 29, 2009)
• Possess stolen things (May 29, 2009)
• Possess firearm with drugs (May 29, 2009)
• Simple assault (May 29, 2009)
• Offense too illegible to read in the record (May 29, 2009)

One incident stands out in the lengthy file; it involved a wrestling match with an officer that involved a gun. In 2009, the affidavit of probable cause contends that a police officer tried to pat down Sterling when Sterling resisted arrest, and the officer ended up “wrestling with the defendant on the ground” at which time a “black semi auto gun fell from his waistband.”

[halloween]

https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/lcod/men/2011/LCODBlackmales2011.pdf

 

If black lives matter, perhaps they should stop killing each other.

[riclag]

9 hours ago, rockingrobin said:

The cctv evidence is very clear.

The officer charging at the guy escalated the situation

 

Police responded to a call about a guy with a gun.Sixteen times police shouted ,put your hands on the car,get on the ground,stop,stop,don't move,  this video has no sound .  Why resist continued police commands !

[CharlesSwann]

Looking at that list of offences, the cops did society a favour, regardless of race.