Mourners gathered in Louisiana’s state capital to remember a black man who was fatally shot by Baton Rouge officers last week in one of two deadly encounters that led to protests over police violence against African-Americans.
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As heavy rain fell outside, a steady stream of people filed into an activity center at Southern University to view the body of 37-year-old Alton Sterling, whose open casket was surrounded by flowers and photographs.
Gary Chambers, master of ceremonies for the funeral, said at the beginning that the event was meant to be a celebration of Sterling’s life – not an opportunity for demonstrations about his death.
Sterling was shot to death as two white officers pinned him to the pavement. Coupled with the July 6 shooting death of a Minnesota man pulled over for a broken tail light whose death was recorded by his girlfriend, the killings sparked protests in several major cities around the country.
Sterling’s death heightened tensions in Baton Rouge, where about 200 protesters were arrested over the weekend. “If the killing of Alton Sterling would have been in a shootout or a drug bust or robbery, we would not be here today”, Jackson said. One of the suspects said they did so to harm officers while another said he did it to sell the guns.
According to The Associated Press, Bridgewater was still being held in the Baton Rouge jail after he declined to enter a plea during a court appearance on Friday.
One mourner wore a T-shirt that said “No Justice, No Peace” and another carried a poster board sign saying “Black America I’m Sorry!” Police have said they found a gun in Sterling’s pocket.
A demonstrator stands during protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S., July 10, 2016.
Richmond spoke to the concerns of Black Lives Matter activists.
Cameron Sterling, son of Alton Sterling, who was killed by Baton Rouge police last Tuesday, holds the hand of his mother, Quinyetta McMillon, as he speaks to the media outside the Triple S Food Mart, where his father was killed, in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 13, 2016.
Moore, III, said Friday that after reviewing the 185 arrests from July 8 to July 11, he will not prosecute about 100 of the cases involving protesters who were charged with obstruction of a roadway or public passage. She said she wanted aggressive policing to end.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana had filed a lawsuit earlier this week over police treatment of protesters. His death prompted protests and heightened tensions in the USA along with last week’s deadly police shooting of a black man in Minnesota and the killing of five police officers in Dallas.
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However, The Daily Advertiser reports that the police report detailing the investigation makes no mention of an alleged threat that the suspects were looking to harm police officers.
