The two Baton Rouge police officers involved in the shooting death of Alton Sterling last summer will not be charged, according to an official announcement made by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday.
“After an exhaustive, almost year-long investigation, all of the prosecutors and investigators in this case have come to this conclusion that insufficient evidence exists to charge either officer in this case,” Acting U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson said in the announcement.
The 37-year-old was killed in an altercation with Baton Rouge Police Department officers Howie Lake II and Blane Salamoni at the Triple S Food Mart on July 5, 2016. Sterling’s death provoked unrest in the city when national Black Lives Matter activists and news outlets flocked to Baton Rouge to protest the shooting.
The DOJ made its decision public at the Russell B. Long federal building in Baton Rouge at 1 p.m.
“We took nothing for granted,” Amundson said. “We followed any trail of evidence that we thought had any possibility of shedding light on the officers’ state of mind and intent at the time of shooting.”
The DOJ could not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers acted willfully with specific intent to disobey the law, which is one of the highest standards to prove, Amundson said. Recklessness and actions that escalated the situation aren’t grounds for a federal civil rights violation, he added.
“There are no winners here, and there are no victories from anybody,” he said. “A man has died. A father … has died.”
Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and Gov. John Bel Edwards held a press conference at Baton Rouge City Hall after the DOJ’s announcement.
Broome said she understood the disappointment many community members feel with the decision and reminded people of government efforts to improve policing in the city, such as the $2 million in funding that was just appropriated for police body cameras.
Edwards and Broome reminded citizens of their right to engage in peaceful protests, but said that maintaining public safety is the No. 1 priority and that violent behavior “will not be tolerated.”
“It is incumbent upon us as Louisianians to ensure peace is maintained,” Edwards said.
The DOJ decision was first reported by The Washington Post on Tuesday before a formal announcement was made. While national media outlets published reports of the decision, crediting anonymous sources in the DOJ, the Sterling family and local officials remained unaware of a timeline or decision regarding the investigation.
Local media outlets reported that the governor was not notified of a decision prior to the Post report.
Edwards said the leak was disrespectful to the Sterling family, who had been informed that they would be the first to know of a decision. He hopes an investigation will be conducted into the source of the DOJ leak, he said.
Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome also issued a statement Tuesday, saying her office had not been informed of a decision in the case by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
“I am appalled that this news, whether true or false, has been disseminated without a formal decision being relayed to the Sterling family first. Also, no one in my office or the governor’s office has been notified by the U.S. Attorney’s office of a decision or timeline. I am still in consistent contact with the governor’s office. As I’ve said before, when I know something, the people of Baton Rouge will know — and we will get through it together,” the full statement said.
The national news reports come amid recent rumors that the announcement would be made public in the coming days.
Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, condemned the DOJ leak via Twitter. He said the fact that The Washington Post confirmed the verdict without alerting Sterling’s family or Baton Rouge city leaders was an “indictment on the DOJ” and “completely undermines the credibility and transparency” of the department.
The decision to press state charges now falls on Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office, which will determine if the matter violates Louisiana Criminal Code. In a statement released Wednesday, Landry said the Louisiana State Police will conduct the investigation along with a prosecutor from the Louisiana Department of Justice. Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore recused himself from the investigation last July.
