Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has ruled criminal charges are not warranted against two white Baton Rouge police officers who fatally shot a black man during an altercation in front of a convenience store in July of 2016. Landry’s office reviewed the evidence of the Alton Sterling shooting for nearly a year.
Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake were the called to the scene after receiving reports of a man with a gun. Landry says the justifiable shooting of Sterling came after the 37-year-old failed to cooperate with the police and the encounter happened very quickly.
Landry says after the shooting, officers pulled a gun from Sterling’s pocket. He says toxicology reports from the autopsy also showed Sterling was under the influence of illegal drugs, which contributed to his non compliance.