The family of a black man shot multiple times by police during a confrontation at a Louisiana convenience store called for an independent investigation and officials to resign in the wake of cellphone video showing the chilling incident.
Graphic footage circulating online filmed by a witness early Tuesday appears to show Alton Sterling, 37, being shot as two cops pin him to the ground.
His death has sparked protests against police brutality in Baton Rouge, and family members and the local NAACP branch called for Louisiana State Police to take over the review from the Baton Rouge Police Department….
Congressman Cedric Richmond cited “a number of unanswered questions” around the “tragedy” — including the level of force and response of officers after.
“The video footage released today of the shooting of Alton Sterling … was deeply troubling and has understandably evoked strong emotion and anger in our community,” Richmond said in a statement. “I share in this anger and join the community in the pursuit of justice.
He called on the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an investigation — and for protests to be conducted “with dignity.”
Protesters gathered outside the convenience store overnight, chanting “black lives matter” and holding signs saying “Honk for justice” as car horns blared.
#AltonSterling was trending on Twitter amid the mounting outrage.
Martin Luther King’s youngest daughter, Bernie King, was among those adding her voice.
“May his name and his brutal last breath shake up and transform systems,” she wrote on Twitter.
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