Warning: This article links to a graphic, potentially triggering video.
The fatal shooting Tuesday of a 37-year-old black man by Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police officers enraged many online Tuesday night when an apparent cell phone video of the shooting made its way to the internet.
As the Baton Rouge Advocate reported, Alton Sterling was involved in an incident with police early Tuesday morning outside of a convenience store, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner William “Beau” Clark said early results from the autopsy showed Sterling suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and back.
But when a 39-second cell phone clip was released late Tuesday night, much of the internet exploded in anger.
Particularly since the video shows two police officers tackling a black man, and after struggling with him on the ground, one officer pulled his gun. After much yelling—according to the newspaper, one officer yelled, “He’s got a gun! Gun,” and “You fucking move, I swear to God”—apparent shots were fired just as the cell phone pulled away from the struggle.
The paper reported that an ambulance arrived at the scene at 12:46am CT, and the patient was already dead.
Louisiana state representative C. Denise Marcelle said, via WAFB, that both officers’ body cameras fell off during the struggle and did not capture their points of view.
With a slew of police officer shootings involving black men already in the nation’s conscious, a number of Twitter users showed their—and other people’s—frustrations after the cell phone video was released.
Protestors now parking in street to block traffic, raising fiats & chanting “black lives matter” #AltonSterling pic.twitter.com/aGu463ZTN4
— Bryn Stole (@brynstole) July 6, 2016
GO OUT AND DESTROY SOME POLICE PROPERTY IF U CAN
— ABASSI DUBIAKU (@veeveeveeveevee) July 6, 2016
He was on the ground. Not a threat. Pinned by cops. One of whom pointed a gun, paused, then shot. What the fuck. #AltonSterling
— Henry Pickavet (@Pickavet) July 6, 2016
https://twitter.com/prophiphop/status/750531003777556481
According to the Advocate, local leaders and Sterling’s family will speak at City Hall on Wednesday morning. The Baton Rouge police department also said Chief Carl Dabadie Jr., would be available for interviews Wednesday morning.
