Baton Rouge police chief Murphy Paul announces that an officer involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling has been fired.

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Baton Rouge police officer who shot Alton Sterling reportedly fired as new video is released

The other officer involved has been suspended without pay.

 

Kris Seavers

IRL

Posted on Mar 31, 2018   Updated on May 21, 2021, 8:00 pm CDT

Baton Rouge Officer Blane Salamoni, who was involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, has been fired for “violating use-of-force policies,” CNN reported on Friday. Following Chief Murphy Paul’s announcement of Salamoni’s firing, police released graphic body camera and surveillance footage from the shooting.

The department had originally said Salamoni’s body camera fell off during the shooting and did not capture the shooting. But the body camera footage released Friday shows Salamoni pulling his gun on Sterling and yelling profanities at him only moments after arriving on the scene.

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot your fucking ass, bitch,” Salamoni says. “Put your fucking hands on the car or I’m going to shoot your fucking head!”

Warning: The following video contains graphic content. 

 

Howie Lake II, the other officer involved, has been suspended for three days without pay “for losing his temper” during the July 2016 incident, CNN reported.

New video from Lake’s body camera shows a struggle ensue after Lake tries to get Sterling to put his hands on the hood of a car. As the officers tackle Sterling to the ground and shock him with a stun gun, a voice, presumably Salamoni’s, yells, “He’s got a gun!” before gunshots are heard.
 The release of the footage and news about the officers comes three days after Louisiana officials said Salamoni and Lake would not face criminal charges.

Sterling’s death sparked nationwide outrage, prompting #BlackLivesMatter protests across the nation during heightened tensions around police brutality and police shootings of Black men. A viral cell phone video showed the officers tackling Sterling the ground before shooting him.

H/T CNN

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*First Published: Mar 31, 2018, 2:19 am CDT