After Alton Sterling was shot by police in 2016, his death spawned protests across the nation. The two officers involved in the shooting ultimately went on to stand trial, and today, CNN has revealed that no charges will be filed. According to Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, the officer's fatal actions were deemed "well-founded and reasonable." Expanding on the decision, Landry claimed that "countless hours" went into examining the evidence. The announcement was made in Baton Rouge, coming hours after Landry broke the news to Sterling's family.
If you need a refresher, Sterling was shot outside a convenience store in June of 2016. Disturbing footage revealed Sterling being pinned down by two white police officers, where he was shot shortly thereafter. At the time, police said that Sterling had been reaching for a gun. An initial investigation cleared Officers Blane Salamoni (the shooter) and Howie Lake II of any Civil Rights Charges, with feds going so far as to claim the officers responses were "reasonable." Apparently, it was enough that Sterling failed to comply with the officer's orders, even though there was no visible proof that Sterling even reached for a gun in the first place.
Now, the officers involved in the controversial incident have managed to skate free of charges. The verdict will no doubt cause a renewed outrage among those hurt by the injustice. For some context, Alton Sterling's death caused a massive surge of Black Lives Matter protests; it wouldn't be surprising to see old wounds reopened.
[via CNN]
