Baton Rouge Police Shooting Caught on Video
- By Sydny Shepard
- Jul 06, 2016
[UPDATE: June 6, 2016 10:35 a.m.]
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced that the case of the police officer related shooting that resulted in the death of Alton Sterling will be investigated by the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division with assistance from the FBI.
Edwards said he found the footage to be "deeply disturbing" and called for any protests to remain peaceful.
Original story posted below.
A graphic video of a deadly encounter between two police officers and Alton Sterling is causing outrage on the morning of July 6. The video, shot on a witness’ iPhone, shows two police officers pin down Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, then shoot him as he lies on the ground.
Baton Rouge police say they came to the scene of a convenience store early Tuesday after an anonymous 911 caller reported a man threatening him with a gun. What happens after that is interpreted through several witness accounts. Information that has been confirmed by the city includes Sterling died of gunshot wounds to the chest and back and that the police department is investigating.
Police told CNN that they will be reviewing the video taken by the witness, but will also be checking on footage recorded by the convenience store owner, body cameras and dash cameras. Only the footage from the witness’ iPhone has been released at this time.
Police say the body cameras being deployed on the officers during the incident fell off during the incident.
A local congressman, U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, said in a statement he will call on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate.
"The video footage released today of the shooting of Alton Sterling by officers of the Baton Rouge Police Department was deeply troubling and has understandably evoked strong emotion and anger in our community," Richmond said.
As of the morning of July 6 the Baton Rouge Police Department has not released a statement.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.