Alton Sterling Police Shooting: Second Video Emerges

UPDATE:

The Daily Beast has published a second video of Baton Rouge police shooting and killing 37-year-old Alton Sterling as they hold him pinned to the ground.

The new video does not show any gun or weapon in Sterling's hands, a claim officers made just before they shot him to death.

Watch the video below. And be warned, some may find it disturbing:

Original story below:

Louisiana's governor said Wednesday morning that the U.S. Department of Justice will handle the investigation into the killing of a black man by two white police officers in Baton Rouge. The shooting was caught on video and surged across the internet, prompting fury and indignation from some at another black death at the hands of officers.

The Baton Rouge Police Department has said little about the death of 37-year-old Alton Sterling. Sterling's family called him a gentle giant who wouldn't fight police, while prominent celebrities have weighed in on the latest killing caught on video.

According to the Washington Post, it's the 505th fatal police shooting in America this year.

Here's what the video shows.

The person filming the video is in his car, looking through the window at two police officers confronting a large black man outside of a convenience store. Police said they were responding "to a disturbance call from a complainant who stated that a black male who was selling music cd’s and wearing a red shirt threatened him with a gun."

Two "pops" are heard, as the officers yell "Get on the ground." Those "pops" are believed to have come from a stun gun. After Sterling doesn't immediately drop, the officers wrestle him to the ground and pin him down.

After a few seconds of a struggle, someone yells, "He's got a gun." At least one of the officers pulls out his gun and holds it to the man's head. After some more shouting, at least two shots are fired. "Oh, s***," the man behind the camera says, pointing it away from the incident.

Sterling died on the scene.

You can watch the video below, though it may be disturbing to some:

In a short statement by Baton Rouge police, the incident was called an "officer involved shooting."

"An altercation between Sterling and the officers ensued," the statement said. "Sterling was shot during the altercation and died at the scene."

Abdullah Muflahi, the owner of the convenience store where the shooting occurred, described the officers as "really aggressive" and said he never saw Sterling go for a gun.

Police have not said whether Sterling was carrying a gun. Muflahi told the Advocate that he gave police surveillance video from his store.

The two officers were placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, police said. Baton Rouge police spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely told the Advocate that, “We give officers normally a day or so to go home and think about it” before they are interviewed.

U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) wrote a letter to President Obama asking for a federal investigation into the killing.

After the shooting, protesters gathered near the convenience store, some holding signs, as cars passing by honked their horns. The protests lasted well into Wednesday morning and were not violent.

As the video spread rapidly Wednesday morning, posted on numerous websites and shown on some newscasts, it became a national talking point, with politicians and celebrities weighing in.