US Feds open investigation on Police shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge

Alton Sterling/Facebook

The U.S. Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation Wednesday into the video-recorded police killing of a black man who authorities say had a gun as he wrestled with two white officers on the pavement outside a convenience store.

Alton Sterling, 37, was confronted by police and shot on Tuesday after an anonymous caller said he had threatened someone with a gun outside the store, where he was selling homemade CDs, authorities said.

In a cellphone video taken by a community activist and posted online, the two officers pinned Sterling to the ground, someone yelled, "He's got a gun! Gun!" and gunfire erupted moments later.

At a news conference Wednesday, Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. said that Sterling was armed but that there are still questions about what happened.

"Like you, there is a lot that we do not understand. And at this point, like you, I am demanding answers," Dabadie said, calling the shooting a "horrible tragedy."

The officers, identified by the chief as Blane Salamoni, a four-year member of the department, and Howie Lake II, who has been on the force for three years, were placed on administrative leave, standard department procedure.

Authorities would not say whether one or both fired their weapons or how many times.

Gov. John Bel Edwards and the U.S. Justice Department announced the investigation by the department's civil rights division.

"I have very serious concerns. The video is disturbing, to say the least," Edwards said.

The shooting stirred anger in Baton Rouge, with hundreds protesting Tuesday night and demonstrations continuing Wednesday. Community leaders and Sterling's family demanded a federal investigation.

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