Although we’re at the point where there should be far more progression regarding the social injustices that plague the Black community, there have been an enormous amount of instances that have proven that, As Americans, we’re far from where we should be.
Most may believe that the fatal shooting by white police officers of a black man named Alton Sterling, is an example of the stagnated state of our nation as it pertains to obvious inequities. The death of Sterling elicited the rise of deep-rooted emotions and sparked protests in the city of Louisiana and outrage across the country.
Now, almost a year later, reports suggest that people familiar with the matter say the officers involved in his death will not be charged, according to The Washington Post.
In July of 2016, Baton Rouge police officers attended to reports that there was a man outside of a convenience store who threatened someone with a gun. The police officers deemed Sterling to have fit the description of that man and the encounter between the 3 men ended up in the fatal shooting of Sterling.
History has shown that charging officers involved in these types of situations is extremely difficult, as it must be proven that federal civil rights was violated. Those federal civil rights include a wide range of coverage, making the possibility of prosecution quite frankly, nearly impossible.
Though there may never be a definitive answer to who takes the fault for this unjust death, hopefully the result of this tragedy will spark more conversation about laws that protect law enforcement, law enforcement that fails to protect, and everything in between.
