On March 27, Lousiana’s Attorney General announced no charges for the officers that were involved in the July 2016 shooting death of Alton Sterling.
CNN on Twitter
JUST IN: Louisiana attorney general announces no charges for police who shot and killed Alton Sterling outside a convenience store in July 2016 https://t.co/TQHp1Oljih https://t.co/91Caz3ZIqZ
This decision was not taken lightly, said State Attorney General Jeff Landry.
Following the shootings of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and Trayvon Martin, Sterling’s death was a touch point in the Black Lives Matter movement. During a hot day in July, Baton Rouge Police encountered Sterling outside a convenience store and somehow died from multiple gunshot wounds.
While Sterling was later found to be armed in the initial scuffle, shady police reports and comments, combined with a phone video, led to a public outcry for an unnecessary use of lethal force.
Ava DuVernay on Twitter
Alton Sterling, a black man who was face down on the ground at the time that Officer Blane Salamoni shot him a half dozen times in the back, will get no justice from his home state. Louisiana @AGJeffLandry personally declined to charge the two white policemen who murdered him. https://t.co/GmObRrryYd
In an era where Black men and women are still being policed in a way that’s disproportionate to the general public, the Sterling verdict is the latest punch into Black America’s collective gut. Twitter was swift to throw up their collective prayers to the Sterling family.
Cousin Angela on Twitter
AltonSterling we will fight for you. It’s only the beginning. #blacklivesmatter https://t.co/5PiWwhh4Uq
de bleck penta on Twitter
the whole problem with these cases is summed up by this quote from the federal prosecutor: “We would have to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Officer Salamoni did not believe that Mr. Sterling was actually going for a gun
Helen Brosnan on Twitter
I’ll kill you, bitch.” Words Alton Sterling heard just before he was murdered by a police officer. He was a victim of racism, state violence, white supremacy. He was a victim of gun violence, too. We have so much work to do. #BlackLivesMatter #AltonSterling #MarchForOurLives
R.I.P. Alton Sterling. He was 37 years old.
