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finalcall.com

A slap in the face from the Justice

Dept.?
11-14 minutes

By Rhodesia Muhammad -Contributing Writer- | Last updated: May 10, 2017 -

10:56:31 AM

What's your opinion on this article?

No federal charges for cops in shooting death of Alton Sterling

NEW ORLEANSThe announcement earlier this

month by the Department of Justice to not bring
federal charges against the two White Baton Rouge
police officers for the shooting death of Alton
Sterling in Baton Rouge proved to be just another
slap in the face from the strong arm of the law,
Alton Sterling argued residents and local activists.

The killing of Mr. Sterling, a Black man, occurred

last July and was captured on cell phone video.

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Cameron Sterling speaks during press conference, July

13, 2016. Cameron Sterling is the 15-year-old son of
Alton Sterling, a Black man who was shot and killed by
White police officers outside a convenience store in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana. Photos: MGN Online

Woulda coulda shoulda, seems to be the idiom echoed from

authorities in cases involving law enforcement killings of unarmed
Black men.

Community activist Arthur Silky Slim Reed says that the

community is very disappointed because they had their hopes and
prayers up. Personally, I wasnt disappointed because I didnt
expect them to do anything different. Looking at the past, the
evidence hasnt mattered in any case, such as the Eric Garner case
or Tamir Rice. We had video footage with them as well and no
charges had been brought against any of those individuals. So, I
dont think its so much about having evidence, I just think that we
are dealing with Satan as the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught
us, he continued.

Baton Rouge Acting U.S. Attorney General Corey Amundson

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announced at the May 3 press conference held at the federal

courthouse in the city that there was insufficient evidence to charge
officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, II. U.S. Attorney General
Jeff Sessions has made it clear that under his direction the Justice
Department will pursue a law and order approach and support law
enforcement agencies when it comes to policing.

Attorney Amundson explained that prosecutors had to establish

beyond reasonable doubt that a law enforcement officer acted
willfully to deprive an individual of a federally protected right.
However, the Sterling family, along with their attorneys, were
disturbed after discovering in the familys private meeting with
members of the Dept. of Justice that Off. Salamoni was seen on the
Triple S convenience store surveillance camera, where Mr. Sterling
was killed, pointing a gun at Mr. Sterlings head and threatening to
kill him.

Baton Rouge Councilmember-At-Large and family spokesperson

Jason Williams said that he understands the complexities of the law
itself, but as a lawyer he disagrees with the Justice Departments
decision. He argued that Off. Salamoni had ill-intent.

Normally, you hear the prosecution say, we dont know whats in

that persons heart, we dont know what was in their mind, we dont
know what they were intending to do? However, we do know that
this officer said that he would shoot Alton and we know in less than
a minute and a half, Alton is dead by that officers very same gun. I
think his intentions were very clear, Councilman Williams explained
in a phone interview with The Final Call.

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Film stills of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old Black man,

when he was shot to death as he lay on the ground with
two Baton Rouge police officers on top of him, July 5,
2016.

Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome acknowledged the

family and communitys disappointment in the decision at a press
conference with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and stated,
This decision by the Justice Dept. to not file charges does not
mean the police officers acted appropriately. It means there was not
sufficient evidence according to what we heard from the Dept. of
Justice.
In many cases of police involved shootings of civilians, the results
are similar. Press conferences are held and the powers that be
usually agree that police officers couldve handled things differently
or even made better choices that couldve prevented loss of life, but
they are still absolved from committing any crime.

According to data provided to The Huffington Post by Philip

Stinson, an associate professor of criminology at Ohios Bowling
Green State University,police are hardly ever convicted of murder
or manslaughter in fatal on-duty shootings. Mr. Stinson noted that
juries and judges seem reluctant to second-guess the split-second
life or death decisions of police officers in violent street encounters
during their job and will give the benefit of every doubt to an officer

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on trial in these cases.

If all a police officer had to do is say, I felt threatened and you

have to believe me, judge, there would never be a prosecution in
these cases, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Paulsen who
argued why the Jeronimo Yanez case should go to trial. He is the
officer who shot and killed Philando Castile in Minnesota a day after
the Alton Sterling shooting.

Mr. Castiles death gained national attention after his girlfriend, who
was in the car with him at the time of the shooting, livestreamed the
ordeal on Facebook. Officer Yanez faces one count of second-
degree manslaughter and two felony-counts of dangerous
discharge of a firearm. His trial starts May 30.

Protests at the location of the Alton Sterling shooting in

Baton Rouge, July 6, 2016.

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Nation of Islam Student Minister Nuri Muhammad of

Indianapolis, Ind. with Alton Sterlings family in front of the
mural by Baton Rouge artist Joseph Hines, and a
makeshift memorial created by loved ones. Student Min.
Nuri Muhammad participated in a recent community event
organized by the Baton Rouge Justice or Else coalition to
honor the life of Alton Sterling prior to the ruling by the
Justice Department to not bring charges against the
officers who shot and killed him.

Unfortunately, the bar for charging police officers with federal civil
rights violations is extremely high, especially since law enforcement
officers are given leeway for using deadly physical force if they
reasonably feel their lives are in danger.
Attorney Amundson reiterated that very point in his announcement
to the public of the DOJs findings in Mr. Sterlings case. Its not
enough to show that an officer acted recklessly or with negligence
or by mistake, exercised bad judgement, used bad tactics, or even
that the officer escalated the situation when he could have
de-escalated, he said.

The killings of Mr. Sterling and Mr. Castile sparked protests locally

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and nationwide.

Even after receiving the news of the DOJs decision, some

community members are still feeling hopeful about the future.
Marjorie Esman, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana,
expressed her disappointment that once more police officers have
not been held accountable for their actions by federal authorities for
killing a Black man.

Apparently, Mr. Sterling was armed, but he wasnt hurting anyone

and he certainly didnt need to be killed, she said. I watched the
press conference and the U.S. Attorney when he gave his speech.
He made it pretty clear that he thinks that there were some serious
errors made by the Baton Rouge Police Dept., said Ms. Esman.

They didnt feel for whatever reason those (errors) rose to a level
of warranting criminal charges, but he was pretty clear that he
thinks that the BRPD did not do things as well as they should have.
So thats encouraging that there may be some other accountability
down the line, she added.

Moving forward, said Councilman Williams, the DOJ is supposed

to turn their entire file; all the videos and statements that have been
compiled, over to the state attorney general. I believe that the
Attorney General, who is the top prosecutor for the state, has a
duty and an obligation to bring a prosecution against at least the
officer who fired his weapon into Alton Sterling and drew his
weapon in the first seconds.

However, there are many residents who are not optimistic any
meaningful changes will take place. Some protesters and
supporters of the Sterling family have expressed feelings of doubt
and are pessimistic about the outcome of these cases and some
have taken to social media to express their concerns and
frustrations over Black lives being taken and no one being held
accountable. One comment read, They keep telling us to be

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peaceful, and to conduct ourselves in a peaceful manner, but did

Alton die peacefully. No! He died with 6 bullets pumped into him at
close blank range. I dont know anyone who can know that and be
in a peaceful mood.

Members of the New Black

Panther Party gathered
May 6 outside of Baton
Rouge Police
Headquarters to protest the
death of Alton Sterling and
the DOJs decision. They
carried megaphones and
shouted, Black Power.
A demonstrator protesting the death of
The protest was peaceful,
Alton Sterling is detained by the Baton
but the group made their
Rouge police in Louisiana, July 9,
presence known.
2016.
I just dont see anything
good coming from this. I think that we as a people must have a
stronger longevity when it comes down to protesting and holding
them accountable for the world to see. Thats what were failing at
right now, said Mr. Silky Slim Reed.

Student Minister Abdul Rashid Muhammad of the Nation of Islam in

Baton Rouge said he knew just based on past police killings that
there wouldnt be a just decision made. He has dedicated his time
to promoting a Selective Buying Campaign as a way of
redistributing the pain, a way to boycott corporate businesses and
promote Black-owned businesses in a sustainable way. The local
Justice or Else coalition was formed as a result of the 20th
anniversary of the Million Man March on October 15, 2015 called by
the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

In Baton Rouge, coalition members have been meeting every

Wednesday night at Muhammad Mosque No. 65. The guidance we

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are giving and the direction we are taking is that we want everyone
to use their social media to publicize the Selective Buying
Campaign and the economic boycott and pass it on to their friends
because we want it to go viral, said Student Min. Muhammad.

Youth representative of the Nation of Islam in Baton Rouge,

Rashad Ali Muhammad, aided in coordinating a cash mob,
Saturday, May 6, where supporters, organizers, and community
leaders joined in to collectively support a business.

Chicken Shack was the Black-owned business that they decided to

support, while boycotting Popeyes and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
The Justice or Else coalition will continue to support Black-owned
businesses every weekend, said Rashad Muhammad.

We are also asking Black people to continue to boycott the Mall of

Louisiana, which started last July when Alton Sterling was killed.
We will continue sustainable boycotts until we receive justice.

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