“Something is profoundly wrong when so many Americans have reason to believe that our country doesn’t consider them as precious as others because of the color of their skin”, Clinton said.
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The incident has led to public protests over the latest case of alleged police brutality against African-Americans in the US.
Tawandra Carr, who said she was best friends with Alton Sterling, is comforted as people gather outside the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge, La., Wednesday, July 6, 2016.
“I’m heartbroken. It’s outrageous, it’s insane”.
Abdul Muflahi, who owns the store and knew Sterling, said he saw the shooting happen.
“If we stand divided, we are already defeated”, Bishop Gregory Cooper of Baton Rouge told the crowd, including families with children, that filled the parking lot and nearby streets.
Reed said he doesn’t post any videos without first seeking permission from shooting victims’ relatives.
“I have full confidence that this matter will be investigated thoroughly, impartially and professionally”, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, issued a statement calling Sterling’s death “a tragedy”, and praising the Justice Department’s for launching an investigation. The Baton Rouge Police Department has handed over dash-cam, body cam, and surveillance footage from the officer-involved shooting over to the DOJ.
Similar investigations, which often take many months, were opened following the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in NY. Another union in Ferguson, Missouri, declared the anniversary of 18-year-old Michael Brown’s shooting “Darren Wilson Day”, in honor of the cop who killed him.
It was not clear from the murky cellphone footage whether Sterling had the gun in his hand or was reaching for it when he was shot. He claims two officers confronted Sterling shortly after arriving on the scene.
The 38-second video, which captures the scene from a different angle, shows one of the officers yelling “he’s got a gun”, and then two gunshots are heard. At one point, a person in the vehicle asks, They shot him? as a woman can be heard crying. Sterling is shown lying on the ground bleeding.
Officers responded to the store about 12:35 a.m. Tuesday after an anonymous caller indicated a man selling music CDs and wearing a red shirt threatened him with a gun, Cpl.
Sterling, a convicted felon, wouldn’t be permitted to legally have a gun.
The two officers – Blane Salamoni, with four years’ experience, and Howie Lake II with three years – have been placed on administrative leave, as is standard policy. I do not know the answer. He said he used the nickname “Big Boy” for Sterling.
“As a mother, I have now been forced to raise a son who is gonna remember what happened to his father”.
On Wednesday evening protesters disrupted rush hour traffic in downtown Philadelphia.
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Mufleh Alatiyat, an employee of the store, said Sterling often gave away CDs or petty cash or bought food or drink for some people.
