This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/07/alton-sterling-death-ive-been-sick-ever-since-they-murdered-him
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Alton Sterling death: 'I’ve been sick ever since they murdered him' | Alton Sterling death: 'I’ve been sick ever since they murdered him' |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| A day after police fatally shot Alton Sterling in the parking lot of a convenience store, concentric rings of protesters surrounded the site. In the outermost ring, young men drove cars around the block with speakers blaring: “Fuck the police.” | A day after police fatally shot Alton Sterling in the parking lot of a convenience store, concentric rings of protesters surrounded the site. In the outermost ring, young men drove cars around the block with speakers blaring: “Fuck the police.” |
| In the next ring in, the mood was almost celebratory. Neighbours waved signs and told stories about 37-year-old Sterling, and even laughed. They handed out snacks and drinks. | In the next ring in, the mood was almost celebratory. Neighbours waved signs and told stories about 37-year-old Sterling, and even laughed. They handed out snacks and drinks. |
| Further in, banks of television cameras ringed local community leaders, who pleaded with the crowds to remain peaceful. | Further in, banks of television cameras ringed local community leaders, who pleaded with the crowds to remain peaceful. |
| And at the centre, near the door to the Triple S Food Mart, a trio of devastated people stood and stared. | And at the centre, near the door to the Triple S Food Mart, a trio of devastated people stood and stared. |
| The last person to speak to Sterling was Tawandra Carr, who lives near the store. She had a playful relationship with Sterling, who sold CDs and DVDs on a fold-out table in the parking lot. | The last person to speak to Sterling was Tawandra Carr, who lives near the store. She had a playful relationship with Sterling, who sold CDs and DVDs on a fold-out table in the parking lot. |
| At about 12.30am on Tuesday, Carr approached him in the parking lot, and the two pretended to argue before breaking into laughter. Sterling seemed in a good mood, she said – neither knew that an anonymous caller had just told police Sterling had threatened him with a pistol, and officers were on their way. | At about 12.30am on Tuesday, Carr approached him in the parking lot, and the two pretended to argue before breaking into laughter. Sterling seemed in a good mood, she said – neither knew that an anonymous caller had just told police Sterling had threatened him with a pistol, and officers were on their way. |
| Sterling had packed up his wares for the night but Carr persuaded him to sell her a bootleg copy of Central Intelligence, a new film starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. He charged her two dollars. | Sterling had packed up his wares for the night but Carr persuaded him to sell her a bootleg copy of Central Intelligence, a new film starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. He charged her two dollars. |
| Suddenly – “quicker than you could blink”, Carr said – two police cars arrived from opposite directions and pulled into the parking lot. | Suddenly – “quicker than you could blink”, Carr said – two police cars arrived from opposite directions and pulled into the parking lot. |
| Carr said two officers pushed past her, and made straight for Sterling, who seemed baffled. “He just kept saying: ‘What did I do? What did I do?’” she said. | Carr said two officers pushed past her, and made straight for Sterling, who seemed baffled. “He just kept saying: ‘What did I do? What did I do?’” she said. |
| Without answering, she said, the officers – 28-year-old Blane Salamoni and 29-year-old Howie Lake – went for their Tasers and shocked Sterling. | Without answering, she said, the officers – 28-year-old Blane Salamoni and 29-year-old Howie Lake – went for their Tasers and shocked Sterling. |
| “He didn’t go down,” Carr said. “He was still saying: ‘What did I do?’” | “He didn’t go down,” Carr said. “He was still saying: ‘What did I do?’” |
| Carr’s account, at that point, starts to coincide with a video made by a bystander. It shows the officers tackle Sterling on to the hood of a car, then to the ground where they pin him. In the midst of overlapping yelling and cursing one of the officers cries out: “He’s got a gun!” and both officers draw weapons. | Carr’s account, at that point, starts to coincide with a video made by a bystander. It shows the officers tackle Sterling on to the hood of a car, then to the ground where they pin him. In the midst of overlapping yelling and cursing one of the officers cries out: “He’s got a gun!” and both officers draw weapons. |
| By this time another witness, Abdullah Muflahi, had arrived. Muflahi has owned the Triple S since 2010, and had always allowed Sterling to hawk his music and movies in the parking lot. Sterling had a criminal record, but a lot of people in the Fairfield neighbourhood had a record of some sort, and Sterling seemed harmless. The two had become friends. | By this time another witness, Abdullah Muflahi, had arrived. Muflahi has owned the Triple S since 2010, and had always allowed Sterling to hawk his music and movies in the parking lot. Sterling had a criminal record, but a lot of people in the Fairfield neighbourhood had a record of some sort, and Sterling seemed harmless. The two had become friends. |
| Muflahi stepped out of his store just as police arrived. He pulled his phone from his pocket and started recording. The officers kneeled on top of Sterling. There was a cluster of two or three shots, and the officers rolled off. | Muflahi stepped out of his store just as police arrived. He pulled his phone from his pocket and started recording. The officers kneeled on top of Sterling. There was a cluster of two or three shots, and the officers rolled off. |
| The police yelled: “Get on the ground,” Muflahi said. “Why were they telling him to get on the ground? He was already on the ground. They had shot him three times.” | The police yelled: “Get on the ground,” Muflahi said. “Why were they telling him to get on the ground? He was already on the ground. They had shot him three times.” |
| There was a second burst of three shots, and as Sterling lay with blood pooling on his chest, an officer appeared to reach into Sterling’s pocket and pull out what Muflahi said was a gun. | There was a second burst of three shots, and as Sterling lay with blood pooling on his chest, an officer appeared to reach into Sterling’s pocket and pull out what Muflahi said was a gun. |
| “As soon as I finished the video, I put my phone in my pocket,” Muflahi said. “I knew they would take it from me, if they knew I had it.” | “As soon as I finished the video, I put my phone in my pocket,” Muflahi said. “I knew they would take it from me, if they knew I had it.” |
| In short order, he said, police confiscated the security camera footage from his store. So he kept his mobile phone video a secret. “Otherwise, what proof do I have?” | In short order, he said, police confiscated the security camera footage from his store. So he kept his mobile phone video a secret. “Otherwise, what proof do I have?” |
| Veda Washington, Sterling’s aunt, arrived later. She had helped raise Sterling, and when Sterling’s mother died in 1996 when he was a teenager, she took him in. | Veda Washington, Sterling’s aunt, arrived later. She had helped raise Sterling, and when Sterling’s mother died in 1996 when he was a teenager, she took him in. |
| When she arrived at the scene she alternated between chanting now-familiar slogans like “Black lives matter” and wailing in mourning for the nephew she regarded as a son. | When she arrived at the scene she alternated between chanting now-familiar slogans like “Black lives matter” and wailing in mourning for the nephew she regarded as a son. |
| “I’ve been sick ever since they murdered him,” she cried. | “I’ve been sick ever since they murdered him,” she cried. |
| The three people at the centre of the scene all shared one thing: they can’t sleep. | The three people at the centre of the scene all shared one thing: they can’t sleep. |
| “I’ve tried to sleep but I can’t. I just keep replaying it in my mind,” Muflahi said. “Seeing my friend shot. Hearing the police yelling. Seeing his eyes roll back in his head.” | “I’ve tried to sleep but I can’t. I just keep replaying it in my mind,” Muflahi said. “Seeing my friend shot. Hearing the police yelling. Seeing his eyes roll back in his head.” |
| Carr said she can’t close her eyes without feeling a weight of guilt descend on her. “He wouldn’t have stayed if I hadn’t asked him for that stupid movie,” she said. She leaned against the wall of the convenience store, and collapsed into tears. “He would be alive now.” | Carr said she can’t close her eyes without feeling a weight of guilt descend on her. “He wouldn’t have stayed if I hadn’t asked him for that stupid movie,” she said. She leaned against the wall of the convenience store, and collapsed into tears. “He would be alive now.” |
| The officers, Salamoni and Lake, have been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard practice for officers involved in shootings. | The officers, Salamoni and Lake, have been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard practice for officers involved in shootings. |
| Salamoni’s father is a high-ranking member of the Baton Rouge police – commander of the department’s special operations division. In 2009, before he became a police officer, Salamoni was charged with disturbing the peace, but the charge was dropped. | Salamoni’s father is a high-ranking member of the Baton Rouge police – commander of the department’s special operations division. In 2009, before he became a police officer, Salamoni was charged with disturbing the peace, but the charge was dropped. |
| The other officer, Lake, was involved in another shooting in 2014, when investigators say he and five other officers returned fire at a suspect. | The other officer, Lake, was involved in another shooting in 2014, when investigators say he and five other officers returned fire at a suspect. |
| Both officers say their body cameras fell off before Tuesday’s shooting. | Both officers say their body cameras fell off before Tuesday’s shooting. |
| On Wednesday morning, the Louisiana governor, John Bel Edwards, announced the state was handing over the investigation to federal authorities after calls for transparency from community leaders and Sterling’s family. | On Wednesday morning, the Louisiana governor, John Bel Edwards, announced the state was handing over the investigation to federal authorities after calls for transparency from community leaders and Sterling’s family. |
| By Wednesday night the mood among protesters at the Triple S was, at first, tense. People expressed anger, disillusionment with the police, and fear. | By Wednesday night the mood among protesters at the Triple S was, at first, tense. People expressed anger, disillusionment with the police, and fear. |
| Someone set up a makeshift podium in the parking lot and a public address system. The protest organisers played gospel music, and the mood of the crowd quickly shifted as people started to sing along. | Someone set up a makeshift podium in the parking lot and a public address system. The protest organisers played gospel music, and the mood of the crowd quickly shifted as people started to sing along. |
| Veda Washington climbed up on the soda crates that served as a stage, and took the microphone. | Veda Washington climbed up on the soda crates that served as a stage, and took the microphone. |
| “I was OK until I saw that second video,” she said. “I’m mad. I’m so mad. I’m angry.” | “I was OK until I saw that second video,” she said. “I’m mad. I’m so mad. I’m angry.” |
| The crowd cried out in affirmation. | The crowd cried out in affirmation. |
| “But I’m not so angry that I will cuss out the police. Not so mad that I’ll go into the street. Let’s be peaceful in our protest.” | “But I’m not so angry that I will cuss out the police. Not so mad that I’ll go into the street. Let’s be peaceful in our protest.” |