A 37-year-old man who was selling CDs in Baton Rouge was fatally shot by a police officer on Tuesday morning.
Baton Rouge police remained tight-lipped after the incident between two police officers and Alton Sterling, the man who was fatally shot during the altercation. One witness described the police officers as aggressive and said that Sterling was armed, but did not reach for his pockets and was not holding a weapon during the incident, The Advocate reports.
Sterling was selling CDs in front of the Triple S Food Mart and was killed after being shot in the chest and the back multiple times, the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office told WAFB-TV.
Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. claims that both officers’ body cameras fell off during the incident, NewsWest9 reports. Abdul Muflahi, the owner of the food mart, told the station that he did not see a gun in Sterling's hand, but did see police pull one out of his pocket afterwards.
“His hand was nowhere near his pocket,” Muflahi told The Advocate. “[The police officers] were really aggressive from the start.” He said he then heard one of the officers say, “Just leave him.”
The state of Louisiana allows gun owners to open carry without a permit — as long as they’re an adult and have not been convicted of felonies.
The state’s bill of rights also permits police officers the right to wait up to 30 days before being questioned by investigators.
Both police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave and police said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
(The Independent)
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