“Nobody stands for what happened in Dallas, but I want to see some of you stand up in Louisiana and say we think that it’s wrong when cops do wrong”, said the Rev. Al Sharpton, during Sterling’s service.
Advertisement
Coppola had no information on the extent of injuries or whether a suspect or suspects had been detained.
Sterling was one of two black men killed by police on back-to-back days last week, including Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn.
Alton Sterling, a black man shot and killed in front of a convenience store last week by Baton Rouge police, was remembered today as the “meaning of southern hospitality” and called a “martyr” by The Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Sterling was killed July 5 in front of a convenience store by two white police officers. It was at one of those protests that a black sniper shot and killed five white police officers in Dallas, further heightening tensions. I have a big chunk missing.
Darrell Jupiter, a landscaper, said his best friend was nicknamed “Dweeb” and they fished and played chess together.
Mr Moore said they involved protesters who were arrested only on misdemeanour charges of obstruction of a roadway or public passage.
Among those who will not be prosecuted is DeRay Mckesson, a leading figure in the call for police reform who has risen to national prominence with the increasing visibility of the Black Lives Matter movement. The funeral for Sgt. Michael Krol was held about the same time as Sterling’s on Friday in Plano, Texas.
The crowd included friends, family, activists and two senior advisers to President Barack Obama.
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.
A court filing Thursday says Bridgewater told investigators his motivation for the burglary was to sell stolen items.
Sterling’s family asked for the day to be a peaceful celebration of life, a family spokesman, Gary Chambers, said at the opening of the service. Friday, July 15, 2016.
The ACLU has sued Baton Rouge police and other law enforcement over the police treatment of demonstrators, saying officers were violently aggressive and showed little restraint and poor judgment in terms of who they arrested.
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.
State and local law-enforcement authorities have said the stolen guns were part of a credible threat to harm police officers.
District Attorney Hillar C. Moore III said that after reviewing the 185 arrest reports documented between July 8 and July 11, he’s chosen not to prosecute about 100 of the cases, noting that these protesters were arrested only on misdemeanor counts, the Advocate reports. They had already arrested three other people – an unnamed 13-year old, Antonio Thomas, 17 and Malik Bridgewater, 20.
Advertisement
The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana had filed a lawsuit earlier this week over police treatment of protesters.
