The U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, along with the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District and the FBI, will conduct the investigation into the fatal shooting early Tuesday by Baton Rouge Police officers of 37-year-old Alton Sterling outside a convenience store on North Foster Drive.
Speaking publicly at an 11 a.m. news conference for the first time since the incident, Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie had few new details on the shooting, save for the name of the officers involved—Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II.
“Exactly what happened is the reason we are here today,” Dabadie said. “There is a lot we do not understand. At this point, like you, I am demanding answers.”
Dabadie promised transparency and cooperation with federal officials, comments echoed by Mayor Kip Holden, who bristled at public statements that have been made earlier this morning by “political opportunists.”
“It’s not like we need to be hand-held and spoon fed when it comes down to doing what’s right,” he says. “We are doing our best to make sure we get all the answers.”
City officials urged those who want to protest to do so peacefully.
“We ask for peaceful assembly,” Dabadie said.
Earlier this morning, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that federal investigators will spearhead the probe into the shooting, saying he has “very serious concerns.”
—Stephanie Riegel
