Protests erupt in Baton Rouge after black man killed by police

Officials have provided few details about what happened between Alton Sterling and officers, or why an officer fired his weapon.

A graphic 48-second video captured by a witness shows Sterling on the ground when he is shot. An autopsy Tuesday showed he died of multiple gunshot wounds to the back and chest. Sterling was pronounced dead at the scene, the Baton Rouge Police Department said in a press release, and his death is being treated as a homicide.

Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden told WBRZ-TV there will be a thorough investigation. “This is not going to be a cover up,” Holden said.

Congressman Cedric Richmond, a Democrat representing Louisian’s 2nd District, including Baton Rouge, has also called for an investigation by the Department of Justice in a statement released early Wednesday morning.

Protests broke out in Baton Rouge after the shooting, and Sterling’s name was soon trending on Twitter and Facebook Tuesday night. Protesters say they will be at Baton Rouge City Hall Wednesday at 8 a.m.

In the video, two officers are seen wrestling Sterling, in a red shirt, to the floor. They were responding to the Triple S Food Mart around 12:34 a.m. local time after reports that someone selling CDs outside the store was threatening people with a gun.

According to The Advocate, Sterling was known as “CD Man” and was living in a shelter in Baton Rouge. He had been selling CDs there for years.

Sterling is seen struggling on the ground in the witness video, taken on a cellphone, as one of the officers pins his arm to the floor with his knee. That officer draws his weapon and is heard saying, “If you f—-ing move, I swear to God.” Another officer’s voice says “Mike, he’s going for the Taser!” A voice is the heard shouting, “He’s got a gun. Gun.”

Two shots ring out, the witness videotaping the encounter drops his cell phone and three more shots ring out.

According to Abdullah Muflahi, the store’s owner, Sterling was armed, but was not holding his gun or touching his pockets during the encounter. The gun was later found in Sterling’s pocket, Muflahi told The Advocate, but this version of the story has not been confirmed by police.

“God bless his soul. It could’ve, it could have, it could have been handled differently. Much differently. On both sides it could have been handled differently,” said Muflahi, who called himself a friend of Sterling.

The sound of a stun gun can be heard at the video’s start; Muflahi said a Taser was used on Sterling but it did not bring him to the ground.

The two officers involved in the shooting have not yet been identified, but a police a spokesman told The Advocate their names will be made public “first thing in the morning” Wednesday. Officials said the investigation is ongoing, and the two officers are currently on leave.

Though the officers’ body cameras “fell off” during the encounter, police said they have surveillance video from the convenience store and dash camera video from police vehicles.

Sterling, a father at five, had a criminal record, including convictions for aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, unauthorized entry and domestic abuse battery. He was also a registered sex offender after being convicted in 2000 of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. He was released from prison in 2004.

“I really wanna know more about what happened, about the whole situation, because my brother didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve it at all,” Mignon Chambers, Sterling’s sister, told WAFB-TV.