OppressionJuly 5, 2016
Alton Sterling Shot and Killed by Baton Rouge Police
Alton Sterling, 37, was selling CDs outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, LA, when police were called. Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II pinned Sterling to the ground; Salamoni shot him six times at close range. The entire encounter was captured on cellphone video. The DOJ under Obama declined federal civil rights charges in 2017. Salamoni was fired in 2018; Lake received a three-day suspension. Louisiana state prosecutors declined to file charges. Sterling's killing occurred one day before Philando Castile's death, triggering national protests.