By: Michael Watts II, NDG Special Contributor
Louisiana, home of the bayou, fresh seafood, Mardi Gras and Strawberry Daiquiri. This state is known for its festive like culture, but recently this party state had a violent encounter between a Baton Rouge resident and two police officers. The encounter left the young resident dead.
37- year -old Alton Sterling was recently killed by two police officers at the nearby Triple S. Food Mart located at 2100 North Foster off of Fairfield. It was late at night when the confrontation happened between Sterling and the police officers. Before the confrontation happened, Sterling was outside the convenient store selling CD’s to local customers in the area.
According to Black Diamond News, or Blkdmnds, one of the police officers shouted “He’s got a gun” referring to Sterling.
During the confrontation, the Baton Rouge Police Officers slammed Sterling down to the pavement.
Black Diamond News also reported that Abdullah Muflahi, the owner of the Triple S. Food Mart had no knowledge of an argument outside his store that led to the initial 911 call. Abdullah later witnessed officers remove a gun from Alton’s pocket after the shooting and acknowledged he bought the gun days earlier for protection after learning other CD salesmen in the area had been robbed.
Before Sterling was shot, Abdullah was defending him saying “His hand was not in his pocket, nor did he have the gun in his hand.” Sterling was shot five times in the chest and the back. Police Officers eventually confiscated the video footage from Abdullah’s store that would have shown everything that went down between Sterling and the officers.
Once the news was announced, that Sterling was dead, people were hurt and shocked by the news. Protests have started all across Baton Rouge and the U.S. One of the many protest signs read “Black lives matter. Justice for Alton.”
Sterling’s family was struck by grief, when they found out that Sterling was gone.
“It’s not fair, he was a good person and he did nothing wrong,” said Quinyetta McMillan, the mother of Sterling’s 15- year- old son shared with the Huffington Post. “I had to turn off the TV, so my son wouldn’t have to see it, my son is the oldest of all of Alton’s children.”
McMillan also added, “As a mother, I have now been forced to raise a son who is going to remember what happened to his father, The individuals involved in his murder took away a man with children who depend upon their daddy on a daily basis.”
Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie issued a statement identifying the two police officers involved as Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II. Both officers are on administration now. Salamoni was a four-year veteran at the office, while Lake was a three-year veteran.
Alton Sterling leaves behind his five children, family, friends and loved ones.
