*The two Baton Rouge police officers involved in the shooting death of Alton Sterling will not face state criminal charges in connection with the 2016 incident, the Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office has decided.
Landry’s office announced the decision Tuesday (March 27) after first notifying Sterling’s relatives in person.
Officer Blane Salamoni shot Sterling during a struggle outside a convenience store July 5, 2016. Officer Howie Lake II helped take Sterling to the ground but didn’t fire his weapon.
Cellphone videos of the shooting on social media sparked protests that led to nearly 200 arrests in Baton Rouge. Videos recorded by nearby surveillance cameras and by car dashboards and police body cameras have not been released.
Landry’s decision comes nearly 11 months after federal investigators announced they would not seek charges against the officers for any violations of Sterling’s civil rights. Landry began a state investigation after the U.S. Justice Department and state police turned over information of their probe.
Sterling’s family has sought to force Landry to turn over evidence, including video recordings of the shooting, as they pursue a civil lawsuit against the police department and other agencies.
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