LA - Officer fatally shoots Alton Sterling outside store, Baton Rouge, 2016

[Betty P]

CNN video of the interview with the store owner is not up yet, but here's an interview that NBC did with him:

Baton Rouge Store Owner Says His Video Shows Cops 'Murdered' Alton Sterling

Muflahi said he had no idea why police arrived at his store to arrest Sterling, who sold CDs outside — and neither did Sterling, he said.

"He just wanted to know what was going on. Why are they coming to arrest him?" Muflahi said. "He was asking them: 'What'd I do wrong? What's going on? What'd I do wrong? Why you messing with me?'"

Muflahi says he'd known Sterling for 5 or 6 yrs and never saw him get in an argument or a fight. Sterling's table is right outside the door, if anything happened the owner said he would have heard it.

 

[katydid23]

Store owner being interviewed on CNN

He says the victim did not have his gun out, also says the victim was not trying to reach in his pocket for the gun.

Says it all escalated very quickly. By the time he came out of his store, LE was already throwing the victim on the hood of a car and on the ground.

Says the victim was confused and didn't know what was going on. Kept asking LE what do you want? what's going on?

Store owner says he recorded it on his cell phone then hid the phone so police wouldn't take it away. They did confiscate the video from his store camera

Reporter asked him if he was scared, worried about his safety. He said not really, he's protected by the truth and it will come out. He did seem a little scared, though.

I don't know how the store owner could possibly know if the victim was or was not trying to get his gun out of his pocket. The cop was on top of him, and he would be the one that could feel if the guy was flinching those arm muscles, straining to get to his pocket or not. I seriously doubt that the store owner could see that from standing and watching from afar.

He admits that he never saw the start of the interaction between LE and his friend. He only saw from when they physically took him down.

 

[katydid23]

CNN video of the interview with the store owner is not up yet, but here's an interview that NBC did with him:

Baton Rouge Store Owner Says His Video Shows Cops 'Murdered' Alton Sterling





Muflahi says he'd known Sterling for 5 or 6 yrs and never saw him get in an argument or a fight. Sterling's table is right outside the door, if anything happened the owner said he would have heard it.

Sterling had arrests for assault and battery and resisting arrest and sexual assault of a minor. So it seems that Muflahi did not know everything about his friend.

 

[mpnola]

I have no side to take on this for now, but I want to mention a few things-

--- Louisiana has had a VERY very hard year with police losses. Our police are, no doubt, on heightened awareness and fear, because we have lost so many to violence recently. It is on the front of everyone's minds- not just the police.

---- They just showed the protesters outside of the store. I am very proud of the demonstration! It seems calm and non-violent and community centered. Exactly what anyone would hope to see. I love to see people come together and take a stand in peace, rather than in additional harm and hate. Everyone has lost enough already.

--- This is sad for everyone. No other way to slice that.

---- For what it is worth, I definitely see him squirming and moving that right hand down toward his knee. You can even see his feet moving. It was right around when the cop said the "swear to god" thing. Whether he was reaching or not, I can definitely see why the police who are in the middle of this struggle would think he was going for it. Fact is, he was squirming and he actually did have a gun! In that same pocket that he seemed he was reaching for! 10 seconds more, we may have had a different body laying on that ground.

----- They certainly didnt take off the body cams on purpose, as some people (not necessarily here) have said. There are several phone videos and there will be store footage and someone would have that shown- both cops wrestling and then both deciding to release the cams before shooting someone. Yeah, that didnt happen.

I don't know what to say. I know our violence needs to be reduced and our respect needs to be increased among every person. I dont care who you are or what you look like. Laws are laws for a reason. Respect them and your fellow human beings.

 

[katydid23]

I don't think bullets are typically used as restraint devices.

Of course they aren't. But they are self defense devices.

When they arrived, they just wanted to detain him and discuss the 911 allegations. Why didn't Sterling just comply long enough to speak to them. I am sure he knew that resisting was leading down a dangerous path. he'd been arrested for resisting arrest before.

It is so easy to paint the cops as evil bullies. No one questions why the victim did not just simply agree to sit and talk to them about the accusations.

 

[al66pine]

I don't think bullets are typically used as restraint devices.

Agreeing w ^ post, that bullets are not typically used by LE as restraint devices.

When someone (sorry, forgot who) posted that AS was already restrained. I posted to ask if AS was in handcuffs. No replies yet.
Anyone? Thx in adv.

 

[ms madge]

Of course they aren't. But they are self defense devices.

When they arrived, they just wanted to detain him and discuss the 911 allegations. Why didn't Sterling just comply long enough to speak to them. I am sure he knew that resisting was leading down a dangerous path. he'd been arrested for resisting arrest before.

It is so easy to paint the cops as evil bullies. No one questions why the victim did not just simply agree to sit and talk to them about the accusations.

Yeah, why the hell didn't this black man with a long record just sit and have a nice chat with the police officers. Why didn't he just ask them what their concern was, and it all could have been cleared up over a nice cup of tea.

[/SARCASM]

 

[katydid23]

Yeah, why the hell didn't this black man with a long record just sit and have a nice chat with the police officers. Why didn't he just ask them what their concern was, and it all could have been cleared up over a nice cup of tea.

[/SARCASM]

Well, is it the officers fault that he had a long criminal history and that someone called 911 to say he brandished a gun? What are the cops supposed to do at that point?

If Sterling did not point his gun at anyone, he could have told the cops to look at the surveillance video. That could have cleared the whole thing up right then. Why didn't he do that?

 

[mpnola]

Agreeing w ^ post, that bullets are not typically used by LE as restraint devices.

When someone (sorry, forgot who) posted that AS was already restrained. I posted to ask if AS was in handcuffs. No replies yet.
Anyone? Thx in adv.

It seemed like they were trying to get him to get on his belly (probably to cuff him) and he wouldn't. He definitely was not cuffed. After he was shot you can see his arms moving in the air.

 

[katydid23]

I have no side to take on this for now, but I want to mention a few things-

--- Louisiana has had a VERY very hard year with police losses. Our police are, no doubt, on heightened awareness and fear, because we have lost so many to violence recently. It is on the front of everyone's minds- not just the police.

---- They just showed the protesters outside of the store. I am very proud of the demonstration! It seems calm and non-violent and community centered. Exactly what anyone would hope to see. I love to see people come together and take a stand in peace, rather than in additional harm and hate. Everyone has lost enough already.

--- This is sad for everyone. No other way to slice that.

---- For what it is worth, I definitely see him squirming and moving that right hand down toward his knee. You can even see his feet moving. It was right around when the cop said the "swear to god" thing. Whether he was reaching or not, I can definitely see why the police who are in the middle of this struggle would think he was going for it. Fact is, he was squirming and he actually did have a gun! In that same pocket that he seemed he was reaching for! 10 seconds more, we may have had a different body laying on that ground.

----- They certainly didnt take off the body cams on purpose, as some people (not necessarily here) have said. There are several phone videos and there will be store footage and someone would have that shown- both cops wrestling and then both deciding to release the cams before shooting someone. Yeah, that didnt happen.

I don't know what to say. I know our violence needs to be reduced and our respect needs to be increased among every person. I dont care who you are or what you look like. Laws are laws for a reason. Respect them and your fellow human beings.

I totally agree...well said.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

I think the reason he resisted was because he was in possession of a firearm illegally. He would be facing a lengthy sentence. This wasn't his first rodeo. IMO

 

[anonypotomous]

Yeah, why the hell didn't this black man with a long record just sit and have a nice chat with the police officers. Why didn't he just ask them what their concern was, and it all could have been cleared up over a nice cup of tea.

[/SARCASM]

A cup of tea? Why not coffee? There most certainly was a Starbucks nearby. /sarcasm

Or, I don't know, he could have sat the F down, been still and kept his mouth shut.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mpnola]

A cup of tea? Why not coffee? There most certainly was a Starbucks nearby. /sarcasm

Or, I don't know, he could have sat the F down, been still and kept his mouth shut.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, I have to say--- I have never been to jail and I still have a very healthy fear of authority. If they tell me get out, hands up- I get out! Hands up! With a yes, sir and a no, sir. No mouthing off. No I dont have to. No forcing me to do anything. My heart beats out of my chest for a ticket. I cant imagine being so defiant to law enforcement, ESPECIALLY if I have a history. I know good and well how to make things go smoothly and how to escalate the situation.

 

[MzOpinion8d]

Agreeing w ^ post, that bullets are not typically used by LE as restraint devices.

When someone (sorry, forgot who) posted that AS was already restrained. I posted to ask if AS was in handcuffs. No replies yet.
Anyone? Thx in adv.

I'm not sure what earlier posts you're referring to, but he clearly wasn't in handcuffs in either of the videos I've seen.

 

[Isabelle]

Has a video been released showing Sterling pointing a gun at someone that resulted in the original 911 call?

 

[Isabelle]

Well, is it the officers fault that he had a long criminal history and that someone called 911 to say he brandished a gun? What are the cops supposed to do at that point?

If Sterling did not point his gun at anyone, he could have told the cops to look at the surveillance video. That could have cleared the whole thing up right then. Why didn't he do that?

We don't know that Sterling had the opportunity to think to tell LE to look at the surveillance video. I understand from a friend living in Baton Rouge that all videos were confiscated by LE immediately after the shooting, and without a warrant. If Sterling did not brandish a gun at someone, we will never know.

 

[Isabelle]

SABBM

Since the shooting happened after AS was lying on his back; I'm assuming all shots were to the chest ?
MOO

Yes all shots were to the chest and in the newest video released they were directed toward the heart. For a few seconds after the shooting you can see the blood pumping out of his chest and you can also see his left arm being raised involuntarily, this called posturing, most likely like due to a seizure during death.

 

[Isabelle]

The originals 911 call has been released that led LE to that location, but you do not hear the actual call, all you hear is dispatcher to LE.

 

[ladygator]

I think the reason he resisted was because he was in possession of a firearm illegally. He would be facing a lengthy sentence. This wasn't his first rodeo. IMO

Ya, instead of acting like a law abiding felon and staying away from guns, he chose to not only posses one, but wave it at someone, get LE called on himself, and then resist, in order to not get another charge added to his stellar rap record. It cost him his life.

 

[Betty P]

Ya, instead of acting like a law abiding felon and staying away from guns, he chose to not only posses one, but wave it at someone, get LE called on himself, and then resist, in order to not get another charge added to his stellar rap record. It cost him his life.

He didn't resist. There's no evidence he waved his gun at anyone. He did not deserve to be murdered.