The shooting was captured on video, inspiring protests of police brutality across the country.
Advertisement
“This group was certainly not about a peaceful protest”, said Col. Mike Edmonson, superintendent of the state police.
A search warrant for surveillance video from the store where a black Louisiana man was killed by white police officers a week ago says that officers saw “the butt of a gun” in Alton Sterling’s pocket during the arrest and that he tried “to reach for the gun from his pocket”.
“[The police response] made me afraid to protest”.
Antonio Thomas, 17, was arrested inside the store with a handgun and a BB gun on him. Officials still believe that there is one suspect who remains at large.
“We have been questioned repeatedly over the last several days about our show of force and why we have the tactics that we have”, Police Chief Carl Dabadie said.
Police in riot gear, wearing gas masks and carrying assault rifles, along with armored vehicles, were used to disperse a crowd participating in an unsanctioned protest in a Baton Rouge neighborhood where police diverted them as they marched toward Interstate 110. Protest in peace. Not guns, not drugs, not alcohol.
Among other allegations, the suit claims police arrested protesters for failing to comply with contradictory orders, trespassing after being forced from public property and blocking traffic in the absence of obstruction.
Demonstrators were arrested for obstruction for setting foot on any paved surface adjacent to the road, even if they did not obstruct anything. The plaintiffs say some protesters were verbally abused and physically hurt during the demonstrations. While the younger Sterling understood peoples’ desire to speak out in his father’s memory, he stressed the importance of protesting peacefully. It also asks a judge to mandate that any law enforcement officer responding to protests must wear visible personal identification and not use mace or pepper spray on demonstrators. Police have declined to comment about whether a gun was recovered. Police then grabbed and push some protesters to the ground and arresting them, including a reporter who was “clearly engaging in reporting activities”, the lawsuit stated.
“I feel people in general, no matter what the race is should come together as one untied family”. The teen remained composed as he spoke, a contrast from a week ago when he broke down in sobs and had to be led away as his mother talked in front of television cameras about his father’s death.
Advertisement
After almost a week of protests over Sterling’s death, Baton Rouge police are taking criticism for their methods of dealing with demonstrators.
