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/live/2016/jul/17/baton-rouge-police-officers-shooting-louisiana
The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Baton Rouge: at least three police officers dead after shooting in Louisiana – live updates | Baton Rouge: at least three police officers dead after shooting in Louisiana – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.04pm BST | |
| 20:04 | |
| The US president Barack Obama has condemned “in the strongest sense of the word” the shootings. | |
| For the second time in two weeks, police officers who put their lives on the line for ours every day were doing their job when they were killed in a cowardly and reprehensible assault. These are attacks on public servants, on the rule of law, and on civilised society, and they have to stop. | |
| I’ve offered my full support, and the full support of the federal government, to governor Edwards, mayor Holden, the sheriff’s office, and the Baton Rouge police department. And make no mistake – justice will be done. | |
| We may not yet know the motives for this attack, but I want to be clear: there is no justification for violence against law enforcement. None. These attacks are the work of cowards who speak for no one. They right no wrongs. They advance no causes. The officers in Baton Rouge; the officers in Dallas – they were our fellow Americans, part of our community, part of our country, with people who loved and needed them, and who need us now – all of us – to be at our best. | |
| Today, on the Lord’s day, all of us stand united in prayer with the people of Baton Rouge, with the police officers who’ve been wounded, and with the grieving families of the fallen. May God bless them all. | |
| Donald Trump had previously blamed the shootings on a “lack of leadership”. | |
| We grieve for the officers killed in Baton Rouge today. How many law enforcement and people have to...https://t.co/pPNrzG8kEa | |
| Updated | |
| at 8.07pm BST | |
| 8.00pm BST | |
| 20:00 | |
| Jean McKneely, a Baton Rouge police spokesperson, has pleaded with the public to report “anything suspicious” – namely anyone with “long guns, rifles, hand guns” or who was “dressed in black, “army fatigues” or a mask. | |
| “We don’t have any specific detail about what transpired,” he said. “We do believe it’s more than one suspect.” | |
| He stressed that “we’re not sure of anything right now” when asked whether the shooting could be linked to recent protests against police | |
| He added that authorities are still trying to contact family of the killed officers. | |
| 7.57pm BST | |
| 19:57 | |
| The nephew of Alton Sterling, the black man whose killing by white police officers in Baton Rouge prompted protests, says he condemns the subsequent shootings of police officers. | |
| Terrance Carter told the Associated Press that his family just wanted things to be peaceful and said his uncle would not have wanted to see violence follow his own death. | |
| It remains unclear what prompted today’s shootings. | |
| 7.41pm BST | 7.41pm BST |
| 19:41 | 19:41 |
| 7.10pm BST | 7.10pm BST |
| 19:10 | 19:10 |
| The third injured officer is in a non-life threatening condition, medical staff have said, according to Reuters. | The third injured officer is in a non-life threatening condition, medical staff have said, according to Reuters. |
| 7.09pm BST | 7.09pm BST |
| 19:09 | 19:09 |
| Some updates via Baton Rouge’s WAFB TV station: | Some updates via Baton Rouge’s WAFB TV station: |
| Firstly, a man appears to have been arrested after confronting police officers investigating the shootings. Its reporter at the scene said a white man with no shirt on was Tasered after walking towards police and pointing and yelling. It’s unclear why he approached the officers or whether there was a link to the shootings. | Firstly, a man appears to have been arrested after confronting police officers investigating the shootings. Its reporter at the scene said a white man with no shirt on was Tasered after walking towards police and pointing and yelling. It’s unclear why he approached the officers or whether there was a link to the shootings. |
| Secondly, a heavy storm appears to be heading for the area and is likely to hamper the search for the two suspects believed to be at large. | Secondly, a heavy storm appears to be heading for the area and is likely to hamper the search for the two suspects believed to be at large. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.12pm BST | at 7.12pm BST |
| 7.04pm BST | 7.04pm BST |
| 19:04 | 19:04 |
| Reports circulating online that a fourth officer has died are incorrect, according to local media: | Reports circulating online that a fourth officer has died are incorrect, according to local media: |
| Law enforcement says media reports saying a 4th officer have died are incorrect. Three officers have died. #BRShooting | Law enforcement says media reports saying a 4th officer have died are incorrect. Three officers have died. #BRShooting |
| 6.59pm BST | 6.59pm BST |
| 18:59 | 18:59 |
| The Baton Rouge mayor Kip Holden has suggested the officers may have been ambushed. He told MSNBC news: “The initial call was shots fired. Whenever an officer hears those words, those two words, the response is immediate, everybody in that area goes to that scene.“I’m not sure whether it is related to [protests] but I can tell you the rhetoric that’s been spewed … I have to believe that some of that is related to that.“Basically it was like an ambush style deal. We responded to a call and there’s this jerk that’s out there firing on our police officers. This is in an area that’s a mile from police headquarters.” | The Baton Rouge mayor Kip Holden has suggested the officers may have been ambushed. He told MSNBC news: “The initial call was shots fired. Whenever an officer hears those words, those two words, the response is immediate, everybody in that area goes to that scene.“I’m not sure whether it is related to [protests] but I can tell you the rhetoric that’s been spewed … I have to believe that some of that is related to that.“Basically it was like an ambush style deal. We responded to a call and there’s this jerk that’s out there firing on our police officers. This is in an area that’s a mile from police headquarters.” |
| 6.48pm BST | 6.48pm BST |
| 18:48 | 18:48 |
| Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy: "With our heart, we all grieve" https://t.co/LyKgkW1pLi #BatonRouge https://t.co/B51Lr0l2Bg | Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy: "With our heart, we all grieve" https://t.co/LyKgkW1pLi #BatonRouge https://t.co/B51Lr0l2Bg |
| 6.40pm BST | 6.40pm BST |
| 18:40 | 18:40 |
| This has not been confirmed by police but there are reports that the officers were responding to calls that shots had already been fired: | This has not been confirmed by police but there are reports that the officers were responding to calls that shots had already been fired: |
| Local #BatonRouge media- Witness says he believes there was a shootout between two groups and then police showed up.https://t.co/Ins56Lhd28 | Local #BatonRouge media- Witness says he believes there was a shootout between two groups and then police showed up.https://t.co/Ins56Lhd28 |
| 6.31pm BST | 6.31pm BST |
| 18:31 | 18:31 |
| This from a journalist at Baton Rouge’s the Advocate: | This from a journalist at Baton Rouge’s the Advocate: |
| I'm told @LouisianaGov, @BRPD chief, @EBRSheriff & metro council members inside #OLOL with families of fallen officers @theadvocatebr | I'm told @LouisianaGov, @BRPD chief, @EBRSheriff & metro council members inside #OLOL with families of fallen officers @theadvocatebr |
| “OLOL” refers to Our Lady of the Lake, a medical centre in Baton Rouge. | “OLOL” refers to Our Lady of the Lake, a medical centre in Baton Rouge. |
| 6.27pm BST | 6.27pm BST |
| 18:27 | 18:27 |
| The White House says President Barack Obama has been briefed on the shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, has asked to be updated throughout the day as more details become available and has offered any assistance necessary to local officials, the Associated Press reports. | The White House says President Barack Obama has been briefed on the shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, has asked to be updated throughout the day as more details become available and has offered any assistance necessary to local officials, the Associated Press reports. |
| Obama spent most of last week focused on trying to reduce tensions and helping build trust between police and the communities they serve. | Obama spent most of last week focused on trying to reduce tensions and helping build trust between police and the communities they serve. |
| The US president attended a memorial service for five Dallas police officers and also led a lengthy meeting with leaders from police organisations, community activists and elected officials. | The US president attended a memorial service for five Dallas police officers and also led a lengthy meeting with leaders from police organisations, community activists and elected officials. |
| He also spoke by telephone to the families of two black men shot in separate incidents in Baton Rouge and St Paul, in Minnesota. | He also spoke by telephone to the families of two black men shot in separate incidents in Baton Rouge and St Paul, in Minnesota. |
| 6.21pm BST | 6.21pm BST |
| 18:21 | 18:21 |
| More details on the condition of the three injured officers are now coming through. Reuters is reporting that one is in “critical” and another is in “fair” condition. The status of the third is unknown, the news agency reports. | More details on the condition of the three injured officers are now coming through. Reuters is reporting that one is in “critical” and another is in “fair” condition. The status of the third is unknown, the news agency reports. |
| 5.45pm BST | 5.45pm BST |
| 17:45 | 17:45 |
| Baton Rouge police corporal L’Jean McKneely has just given a press conference in which he confirmed “multiple officers were shot, we do have some that were killed. That’s what I know for sure right now.” | Baton Rouge police corporal L’Jean McKneely has just given a press conference in which he confirmed “multiple officers were shot, we do have some that were killed. That’s what I know for sure right now.” |
| He also confirmed that one suspect had been killed. “We’re securing the area with a deceased suspect, a suspect that has been killed. We’re making sure there aren’t any explosives in the area.” | He also confirmed that one suspect had been killed. “We’re securing the area with a deceased suspect, a suspect that has been killed. We’re making sure there aren’t any explosives in the area.” |
| McKneely said that police were using a bomb-defusing robot to secure the scene, and make sure there were no explosives on or around the deceased suspect. | McKneely said that police were using a bomb-defusing robot to secure the scene, and make sure there were no explosives on or around the deceased suspect. |
| McKneely said the first priorities for police were “safety for officers and safety for the community” after which they would gather all information they could to aid their investigation. He added that Baton Rouge police and the sheriff’s department were being joined by federal law enforcement and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. | McKneely said the first priorities for police were “safety for officers and safety for the community” after which they would gather all information they could to aid their investigation. He added that Baton Rouge police and the sheriff’s department were being joined by federal law enforcement and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. |
| 5.42pm BST | 5.42pm BST |
| 17:42 | 17:42 |
| The shooting took place in Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, at about 9am Sunday. | The shooting took place in Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, at about 9am Sunday. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.47pm BST | at 5.47pm BST |
| 5.36pm BST | 5.36pm BST |
| 17:36 | 17:36 |
| Three police officers dead; one suspect dead, two others may be at large, confirm police | Three police officers dead; one suspect dead, two others may be at large, confirm police |
| Three law enforcement officers are confirmed dead and three injured after a gunfight in Baton Rouge, the East Baton Rouge sheriff’s department has confirmed. | Three law enforcement officers are confirmed dead and three injured after a gunfight in Baton Rouge, the East Baton Rouge sheriff’s department has confirmed. |
| The sheriff’s department also confirmed that one suspect is dead and officers believe “two others may be at large”. | The sheriff’s department also confirmed that one suspect is dead and officers believe “two others may be at large”. |
| “At approximately 9:00 this morning Baton Rouge Police officers and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies were involved in a shooting incident on Airline Highway near Old Hammond Highway. Multiple officers from both agencies sustained injuries and were transported to local hospitals. | “At approximately 9:00 this morning Baton Rouge Police officers and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies were involved in a shooting incident on Airline Highway near Old Hammond Highway. Multiple officers from both agencies sustained injuries and were transported to local hospitals. |
| “Please be advised Airline Highway both lanes is currently shut down from Goodwood to Old Hammond. Old Hammond is closed to Tara Boulevard. At this point in time the scene is still active. We are advising the public to please take an alternate route and steer clear of the area. Those in the area are asked to remain indoors and contact law enforcement immediately if they see anything suspicious,” the department said. | “Please be advised Airline Highway both lanes is currently shut down from Goodwood to Old Hammond. Old Hammond is closed to Tara Boulevard. At this point in time the scene is still active. We are advising the public to please take an alternate route and steer clear of the area. Those in the area are asked to remain indoors and contact law enforcement immediately if they see anything suspicious,” the department said. |
| 5.29pm BST | 5.29pm BST |
| 17:29 | 17:29 |
| Responses from Baton Rouge leaders are beginning to come through. | Responses from Baton Rouge leaders are beginning to come through. |
| John Bel Edwards, governor of Louisiana tweeted the need for unity and healing in light of the “unspeakable and unjustified attack”. | John Bel Edwards, governor of Louisiana tweeted the need for unity and healing in light of the “unspeakable and unjustified attack”. |
| #lagov on the shooting of law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge today: pic.twitter.com/BU3B4Iznbe | #lagov on the shooting of law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge today: pic.twitter.com/BU3B4Iznbe |
| State representative C. Denise Marcelle, speaking to WAFB-TV called on the Baton Rouge community not to protest today, saying it was a day for prayer, not protest. | State representative C. Denise Marcelle, speaking to WAFB-TV called on the Baton Rouge community not to protest today, saying it was a day for prayer, not protest. |
| “We’re not Ferguson, we’re not Dallas,” she said. | “We’re not Ferguson, we’re not Dallas,” she said. |
| Marcelle spoke of the tension in the city over the last week after the shooting of Alton Sterling, a black man who was killed by a white Louisiana police officer following a confrontation outside a Baton Rouge convenience store last Tuesday. | Marcelle spoke of the tension in the city over the last week after the shooting of Alton Sterling, a black man who was killed by a white Louisiana police officer following a confrontation outside a Baton Rouge convenience store last Tuesday. |
| Officers had been called to the store after an anonymous caller said a man outside the store had threatened him with a gun. | Officers had been called to the store after an anonymous caller said a man outside the store had threatened him with a gun. |
| The owner of the store, Abdule Muflahi, told WAFB-TV that the first officer used a Taser on Sterling and the second officer tackled the man. Muflahi said that as Sterling fought to get the officer off him the first officer shot him “four to six times”. | The owner of the store, Abdule Muflahi, told WAFB-TV that the first officer used a Taser on Sterling and the second officer tackled the man. Muflahi said that as Sterling fought to get the officer off him the first officer shot him “four to six times”. |
| Video of the shooting sparked outrage and on Tuesday night about 150 protesters took to the streets chanting “Black Lives Matter” and “No justice, no peace”. | Video of the shooting sparked outrage and on Tuesday night about 150 protesters took to the streets chanting “Black Lives Matter” and “No justice, no peace”. |
| Marcelle said she had spoken to the owner of the store this morning after the shootingwho had asked for people not to come to the store today to protest. | Marcelle said she had spoken to the owner of the store this morning after the shootingwho had asked for people not to come to the store today to protest. |
| 4.44pm BST | 4.44pm BST |
| 16:44 | 16:44 |
| Several officers shot, feared dead - police and local media reports | Several officers shot, feared dead - police and local media reports |
| Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the ongoing situation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Two police officers have been killed and several others injured in a shooting, local media has reported. | Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the ongoing situation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Two police officers have been killed and several others injured in a shooting, local media has reported. |
| “Law enforcement is working a shooting incident involving officers,” Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, said in a statement. | “Law enforcement is working a shooting incident involving officers,” Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, said in a statement. |
| The shooting took place at about 9am Sunday on a stretch of Airline Highway, which has been shut down and declared an active scene. Hicks advised the public to steer clear of the area. | The shooting took place at about 9am Sunday on a stretch of Airline Highway, which has been shut down and declared an active scene. Hicks advised the public to steer clear of the area. |
| A police spokesperson told the CBS that “several officers were struck by gunfire” but he did not know “the extent of injury”. | A police spokesperson told the CBS that “several officers were struck by gunfire” but he did not know “the extent of injury”. |
| Mayor Kip Holden also called the local network, and said: “there were a number of officers who have been injured, a number have been taken to Our Lady of the Lake hospital.” | Mayor Kip Holden also called the local network, and said: “there were a number of officers who have been injured, a number have been taken to Our Lady of the Lake hospital.” |
| “The situation is still very very fluid,” he added. “We’re trying to find out what happened, which is going to take several more hours.” | “The situation is still very very fluid,” he added. “We’re trying to find out what happened, which is going to take several more hours.” |
| Baton Rouge has been racked by tense protests in recent weeks following the shooting deaths of a black man, Alton Sterling, by a police officer, and then the killings of five police officers in Dallas, Texas, a few days later. “Common sense needs to prevail, we need to be the great city that this is,” Holden said. | Baton Rouge has been racked by tense protests in recent weeks following the shooting deaths of a black man, Alton Sterling, by a police officer, and then the killings of five police officers in Dallas, Texas, a few days later. “Common sense needs to prevail, we need to be the great city that this is,” Holden said. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.25pm BST | at 5.25pm BST |