By now, most people know the name Alton Sterling. The Baton Rouge resident’s fatal encounter with Louisiana police have infuriated the nation and caused more civil unrest from city to city. A second video of Sterling’s death has recently surfaced, which shows the graphic events that occurred on Tuesday, July 5.
The 35-second clip, taken by the owner of the Triple S Food Mart, shows a closer angle of the encounter between Sterling and officers. The Justice Department is leading an investigation. The video was posted online Wednesday, July 6 as federal authorities took charge of the investigation and local officials asked residents to keep their protests peaceful.
Obtained by CNN, the video clearly shows another angle and was recorded closer to the shooting by one of two white Baton Rouge police officers who were answering a 911 report of a man with a gun. It is one of two bystander videos that show the encounter. The one posted online Tuesday night quickly sparked local protests and drew national attention.
In the new recording, Sterling is already on the ground. One officer is kneeling to Sterling’s left. The other officer appears to be straddling Sterling’s legs. Sterling can be seen from the chest up and his lower legs are also visible while his left arms and hands are not visible; his right arm is by his side.
After gunshots are heard, the camera pans to the right then back to Sterling, who has a large blood stain on his chest. The officer who was on his legs now lies on the pavement above Sterling’s head, his gun pointed.
The officer radios for an ambulance. As Sterling moves his left arm toward his face and then his chest, the other officer appears to remove something from one of Sterling’s right pockets. Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. said Sterling was armed at the time he was killed and one witness said the officer removed a gun from Sterling’s pocket. The 37-year-old father died at the scene from his wounds.
The officers involved in Tuesday’s shooting—Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II—have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident.