Alton Sterling Shooting in Baton Rouge Prompts Justice Dept. Investigation

[JANFU]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/u...column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

Scores of protesters gathered in Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday night after a black man was fatally shot in an encounter with police officers earlier in the day, an incident that was captured in a graphic cellphone video that began circulating on social media.

The victim, Alton Sterling, 37, was killed in a shooting at about 12:35 a.m. on Tuesday, the Baton Rouge police said in a statement. The police had received a call from someone who reported having been threatened by an armed man wearing a red shirt who was selling CDs outside a store in the eastern part of the city, the statement said.

Graphic video shows police shooting - CNN Video

 

[Lutherf]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

From what I'm reading the cops were told that Sterling had pointed a gun at someone. He was obviously resisting the officers.

The video clip doesn't show the beginning of the engagement but during the engagement you can hear one of the cops say "He's going for his pocket he's got a gun".

Frankly, there isn't enough evidence in the video for me to make a call on whether this was justified or not but I have to note that the common theme in these incidents is resisting the police. I'll say it again, whether you are in the right or in the wrong if you resist the cops your odds of getting hurt or killed go up astronomically if you choose to resist.

 

[RetiredUSN]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Doesn't matter how it turns out for the officers, as their careers are ruined with the Baton Rouge Police.

Sterling will be another false martyr.

 

[apdst]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Louisiana is a gun heavy zone. An attempt to destroy private property might not turn out well for the rioters.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Yep, another clear case of "hands up, don't shoot".

 

[longview]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

It sounds like the guy did have a gun in his pocket.
The store owner said he saw the police remove a gun from his pocket,
and they were responding to a gun complaint.
As with many of these cases, there are enough real police brutality cases,
without having to create any.

 

[Higgins86]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Shooting a man who is pinned to the ground is an execution, don't care how you try and justify it.

 

[sanman]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Who got physical first - the officers or the man? The store owner says the guy didn't have his gun out, and the police took the gun out of his pocket afterwards.

Why are the police body-cameras never functioning? That in itself is an ominous sign. We live in an age where camera technology is easy to implement. I would be worried if police, after having been instructed to wear cameras, are constantly suffering "malfunctions" which conveniently prevent vital footage from being captured.

Police body-cameras are a technical issue which can and should be solved.

 

[sanman]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

From what I'm reading the cops were told that Sterling had pointed a gun at someone. He was obviously resisting the officers.

The video clip doesn't show the beginning of the engagement but during the engagement you can hear one of the cops say "He's going for his pocket he's got a gun".

Frankly, there isn't enough evidence in the video for me to make a call on whether this was justified or not but I have to note that the common theme in these incidents is resisting the police. I'll say it again, whether you are in the right or in the wrong if you resist the cops your odds of getting hurt or killed go up astronomically if you choose to resist.

Doesn't matter how it turns out for the officers, as their careers are ruined with the Baton Rouge Police.

Sterling will be another false martyr.

Resisting the officers? Where the hell do you see that in this video? The officers escalated by tackling the guy, and literally seconds after he was on the ground, they pumped bullets into his chest.

They obviously didn't know they were being recorded. Why are their own body-cameras never working? Too convenient.




As for "false martyr" - if you're not disturbed by the way this man was so quickly killed, then you're saying something about yourself. How would you like it if it was your family member executed like this?

 

[VanceMack]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Shooting a man who is pinned to the ground is an execution, don't care how you try and justify it.

What if that person (a man that was unaffected by a tazer and is actively resisting arrest) has a gun in his pocket and is pulling it out?

The difference maker will be if he simply had a gun or if he was going for the gun. If he just had it in his pocket then you are completely correct. If he was actively attempting to draw it...well...would your response be the same?

 

[VanceMack]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Resisting the officers? Where the hell do you see that in this video? The officers escalated by tackling the guy, and literally seconds after he was on the ground, they pumped bullets into his chest.

They obviously didn't know they were being recorded. Why are their own body-cameras never working? Too convenient.




As for "false martyr" - if you're not disturbed by the way this man was so quickly killed, then you're saying something about yourself. How would you like it if it was your family member executed like this?

You know that he was tackled because he was tazed with zero impact, right?

Perhaps there should be some sort of findings of fact before there is a rush to judgement. The cops were called about a man with a gun threatening people. When they arrived he was non compliant (remember...investigating a complaint of a man that said he was threatened by the suspect with a gun).

You cant see his waist. You cant see his hands. You dont know if they merely found the gun on him or if he was trying to pull it to use it. That makes a huge difference.

 

[Higgins86]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

What if that person (a man that was unaffected by a tazer and is actively resisting arrest) has a gun in his pocket and is pulling it out?

The difference maker will be if he simply had a gun or if he was going for the gun. If he just had it in his pocket then you are completely correct. If he was actively attempting to draw it...well...would your response be the same?

I would question the training of the Officers that they allowed a restrained man to grab a weapon. The problem I have with US law enforcement is that they are always to fast to use deadly force, deadly force should be the last available option. Watching the video ( granted its limited) but I struggle to see how that situation was going to get to the point where the man restrained would be able to pull out a weapon and fire on the officers.

 

[RetiredUSN]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Resisting the officers? Where the hell do you see that in this video? The officers escalated by tackling the guy, and literally seconds after he was on the ground, they pumped bullets into his chest.

They obviously didn't know they were being recorded. Why are their own body-cameras never working? Too convenient.




As for "false martyr" - if you're not disturbed by the way this man was so quickly killed, then you're saying something about yourself. How would you like it if it was your family member executed like this?

He was told twice to get on the ground as the video begins, how many times was he told before he finally got tackled?

He was already aggressive and violent before the cops touched him.

Many people will see this video through different prisms and come up with their own conclusions.

 

[RetiredUSN]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

I would question the training of the Officers that they allowed a restrained man to grab a weapon. The problem I have with US law enforcement is that they are always to fast to use deadly force, deadly force should be the last available option. Watching the video ( granted its limited) but I struggle to see how that situation was going to get to the point where the man restrained would be able to pull out a weapon and fire on the officers.

He was not restrained, he was still fighting.

 

[VanceMack]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

I would question the training of the Officers that they allowed a restrained man to grab a weapon. The problem I have with US law enforcement is that they are always to fast to use deadly force, deadly force should be the last available option. Watching the video ( granted its limited) but I struggle to see how that situation was going to get to the point where the man restrained would be able to pull out a weapon and fire on the officers.

But he wasnt restrained. He was a big ass man and was in the process of being restrained. And before you jump to the problem with US law enforcement, would you say it was appropriate in THIS incident if they shot him IF he not only had a gun but was attempting to use his gun? That is ALL that matters.

If he were actually restrained (he wasnt) and they just found a gun on him and shot...I'm right there with you.

 

[Lutherf]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Resisting the officers? Where the hell do you see that in this video? The officers escalated by tackling the guy, and literally seconds after he was on the ground, they pumped bullets into his chest.

They obviously didn't know they were being recorded. Why are their own body-cameras never working? Too convenient.




As for "false martyr" - if you're not disturbed by the way this man was so quickly killed, then you're saying something about yourself. How would you like it if it was your family member executed like this?

The only evidence we have is a video of part of the engagement and some reports from witnesses. One of the cops definitely says "he's going for his pocket". Like I said before, there isn't enough out there yet to make a fair determination one way or the other.

 

[Higgins86]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

But he wasnt restrained. He was a big ass man and was in the process of being restrained. And before you jump to the problem with US law enforcement, would you say it was appropriate in THIS incident if they shot him IF he not only had a gun but was attempting to use his gun? That is ALL that matters.

If he were actually restrained (he wasnt) and they just found a gun on him and shot...I'm right there with you.

We'll see, probably should wait for more evidence before I start calling them murderers. Hard to see how this was an appropriate use of force though.

 

[Quazimodo]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Alibis and excuses. Socialism and communist cowardice at work. If we don't have law and order in our streets we have anarchy. Anarchy is one of the stated goals of communists. It's time to take back OUR country.

 

[JANFU]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

We'll see, probably should wait for more evidence before I start calling them murderers. Hard to see how this was an appropriate use of force though.

From what I have read on other news site is he did have a gun. That in itself, if reaching for it, well it all happens in a few seconds. From I know at this time hard to condemn the Officers.
The Gov has asked for a Federal investigation.
That removes it from local Police.

 

[sanman]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

You know that he was tackled because he was tazed with zero impact, right?

Dropping from a taser hit is a physiological reaction - you're saying he had to be tackled instantaneously because his physiological reaction didn't happen on cue? That's like saying someone should be tackled right away because they didn't bleed fast enough.

I wouldn't have tackled the guy right away like that - were they in a rush to get home to watch the ballgame?

Perhaps there should be some sort of findings of fact before there is a rush to judgement. The cops were called about a man with a gun threatening people. When they arrived he was non compliant (remember...investigating a complaint of a man that said he was threatened by the suspect with a gun).

His non-compliance is not shown in the video. It's hard for me to see where their reaction is justified.

You cant see his waist. You cant see his hands. You dont know if they merely found the gun on him or if he was trying to pull it to use it. That makes a huge difference.

To me it looks like bullets were pumped into his chest a few seconds after being tackled. That doesn't look like a well-handled situation.

 

[ajn678]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Sexual predator illegally carrying and threatening people with guns is shot and killed? Meh.

 

[GhostlyJoe]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

From what I'm reading the cops were told that Sterling had pointed a gun at someone. He was obviously resisting the officers.

The video clip doesn't show the beginning of the engagement but during the engagement you can hear one of the cops say "He's going for his pocket he's got a gun".

Frankly, there isn't enough evidence in the video for me to make a call on whether this was justified or not but I have to note that the common theme in these incidents is resisting the police. I'll say it again, whether you are in the right or in the wrong if you resist the cops your odds of getting hurt or killed go up astronomically if you choose to resist.

 

[VanceMack]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

We'll see, probably should wait for more evidence before I start calling them murderers. Hard to see how this was an appropriate use of force though.

I tend to agree with you.

 

[VanceMack]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

Dropping from a taser hit is a physiological reaction - you're saying he had to be tackled instantaneously because his physiological reaction didn't happen on cue? That's like saying someone should be tackled right away because they didn't bleed fast enough.

I wouldn't have tackled the guy right away like that - were they in a rush to get home to watch the ballgame?




His non-compliance is not shown in the video. It's hard for me to see where their reaction is justified.



To me it looks like bullets were pumped into his chest a few seconds after being tackled. That doesn't look like a well-handled situation.

He was tazed and didnt respond. They probably felt the need to tackle him like that because they were responding to a call about a man THREATENING OTHERS WITH A GUN.

It may very well be a bad shoot. It MAY ALSO very well be a good shooting. If they opened fire for no reason they should be charged.

 

[Mason66]

Re: Alton Sterling Shooting by Police in Baton Rouge Sets Off Protests

DOJ to investigate police-involved shooting in Louisiana | Fox News

Wow that didn't take long at all.