OT Alton Sterling

[Sedatedfork]

I didn't see a thread so thought I would start one. If you haven't see the cell phone video of the shooting, it is awful. It's one of those things you can't unsee. The guy is being cooperative as far as I can tell, is tackled to the ground. Two police officers have pinned him to the ground. They then start searching him and apparently find a gun on him in his pocket. Then they shoot him at point blank range while he is completely immobilized. Honestly I am at a loss of words for this. He seemed like a pretty good guy in the community too and perhaps even harmless. RIP CD Man. My thoughts go out to his family.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

So they shot an armed pedophile wife beater who was brandishing his gun at a civilian, resisting arrest and trying to grab the officer's taser.

A real pillar of the community.

 

[Sedatedfork]

From what I read the store owner said there had not been any reports of him threatening anyone with a gun. I don't know what kind of news sources you are looking at, so maybe you can link me to your info. Have you seen the video? I sure didn't see Alton do anything that warranted being shot.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/06/us/baton-rouge-alton-sterling-when-police-use-of-force-justified/

This is based on a video that appears to show two officers wrestling Sterling to the ground and restraining him before gunshots erupt.

Put aside the lengthy debate that will inevitably ensue, and there are at least two facts on which everyone agrees: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police say they were responding to a report of a man brandishing a gun, and Sterling died of multiple gunshot wounds after an altercation with police.

 

[Denny Crane]

There are two videos and it sure looks like the police used deadly and excessive force. There was no reason to draw their guns in the first place, since they had subdued him and he was laying on the ground.

 

[Further]

Don't know if it was a good or bad guy, and that doesn't really matter. I'll wait and see what other evidence comes out, but at first blush looks like a subdued man just got shot because a cop panicked, after the guy was already on the ground and under control. We will see what comes forth.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Both known views.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Not saying these are my thoughts but figured they were worth posting for discussion.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

The left arm is pinned down but the right arm isn't.

Officer thinks suspect is going for the gun in his pocket (notice the right arm is moving, they cannot pin it down or immobilze it since its under the car)

Yeah, if a cop knows someone has a gun and goes for it they are going to get shot.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Fuck the police. Send those bitches to jail.

 

[Bandwagonfansince77]

So they shot an armed pedophile wife beater who was brandishing his gun at a civilian, resisting arrest and trying to grab the officer's taser.

A real pillar of the community.

So, let me get this straight, if you don't mind.

You're suggesting that someone's past history gives justification for what happened?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

So, let me get this straight, if you don't mind.

You're suggesting that someone's past history gives justification for what happened?

Past actions often indicate future behavior. Especially when he has been arrested for Aggravated Assault, Battery, Resisting Arrest, and so forth and so on. If someone was arrested for these crimes in the past, I'd be more inclined to side with the police in this instance, especially since he had a gun (that he wasn't supposed to have). He very well could have went for his gun, its certainly conceivable. Violent felons who carry illegal handguns aren't high on the list of people I'd side with in these situations.

And that was in response to this in the original post:

. He seemed like a pretty good guy in the community too and perhaps even harmless.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

And what is "selling CDs"? Is he one of those guys that hands out mixtapes that people think are free, but then they try to charge you later for them? Its a total scam/hustle. The store owner probably gets a kickback from this. The gun on him was probably used to "close the sale".

http://www.laweekly.com/music/want-to-buy-a-rap-cd-on-venice-beach-you-sure-2408262

 

[Bandwagonfansince77]

Past actions often indicate future behavior. Especially when he has been arrested for Aggravated Assault, Battery, Resisting Arrest, and so forth and so on. If someone was arrested for these crimes in the past, I'd be more inclined to side with the police in this instance, especially since he had a gun (that he wasn't supposed to have). He very well could have went for his gun, its certainly conceivable. Violent felons who carry illegal handguns aren't high on the list of people I'd side with in these situations.

And that was in response to this in the original post:

Just wanted to make sure what your position was, and you gave it. Thanks for responding clearly and without malice.

Didn't see that it was a response to a comment in regards to his character. Pardon me for not knowing that.

 

[crandc]

And Louisiana is a state where carrying a gun is legal in most circumstances. Looks like Second Amendment is "white only".

Did you see his teenage son crying uncontrollably while his mother talked to media? A family man with a good job, clean record. Caught living while black.

 

[blue32]

And Louisiana is a state where carrying a gun is legal in most circumstances. Looks like Second Amendment is "white only".

Did you see his teenage son crying uncontrollably while his mother talked to media? A family man with a good job, clean record. Caught living while black.

Clean record?

"
Sterling has had encounters with law enforcement before.
In 2009, he was charged with carrying a weapon (a firearm) while in possession of a controlled substance (marijuana). He pleaded guilty two years later and was sentenced to five years in prison, with credit for time served and a recommendation of work release and drug treatment. Sterling had pleaded guilty to other charges in the past.
"


Not so clean. Don't be disingenuous.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Clean record?

"
Sterling has had encounters with law enforcement before.
In 2009, he was charged with carrying a weapon (a firearm) while in possession of a controlled substance (marijuana). He pleaded guilty two years later and was sentenced to five years in prison, with credit for time served and a recommendation of work release and drug treatment. Sterling had pleaded guilty to other charges in the past.
"


Not so clean. Don't be disingenuous.

I wonder about stuff like this. If carrying a firearm is legal, and marijuana possession is a misdemeanor, why would combination of the two deserve 5 years? Shouldn't gun rights activists be protesting laws like these too?

 

[Denny Crane]

I wonder about stuff like this. If carrying a firearm is legal, and marijuana possession is a misdemeanor, why would combination of the two deserve 5 years? Shouldn't gun rights activists be protesting laws like these too?

The marijuana possession shouldn't be illegal in the first place. Aside from there being no victim, the law has been used to target black people for incarceration.

 

[blue32]

I wonder about stuff like this. If carrying a firearm is legal, and marijuana possession is a misdemeanor, why would combination of the two deserve 5 years? Shouldn't gun rights activists be protesting laws like these too?

My guess would be that he got more years because he was/is a repeat offender as he had plead guilty to other charges in the past.

 

[blue32]

The marijuana possession shouldn't be illegal in the first place.

Of course it shouldn't, but it was (and most likely it was known by him) AND he was carrying a firearm. Which when you combine those two together, is even more of a penalty. Like it or not, it was made a crime and he was guilty.

 

[crandc]

Marijuana possession is not IMO a "true" offense, it's like saying he was busted for jaywalking. Technically illegal.

 

[blue32]

Marijuana possession is not IMO a "true" offense, it's like saying he was busted for jaywalking. Technically illegal.

Are you high? Did you not read the charge? It was possession of a controlled substance while carrying a firearm. AND hes a repeat offender.

Regardless of what you think isn't or is a 'true' charge, the dude was not following the law; this is more than likely why he received a stiffer penalty.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

http://heavy.com/news/2016/07/alton...ke-shot-charges-video-youtube-facebook-watch/

Tl;dr version:

Sterling Had Previous Confrontations With the Baton Rouge Police
One incident stands out in the lengthy file; it involved a wrestling match with an officer that involved a gun. In 2009, the affidavit of probable cause contends that a police officer tried to pat down Sterling when Sterling resisted arrest, and the officer ended up “wrestling with the defendant on the ground” at which time a “black semi auto gun fell from his waistband.” The officer grabbed the back of Sterling’s shirt during the incident, and he was able to arrest him without further incident.

Sterling Was a Registered Sex Offender for a Crime Involving a Juvenile
Court records show the victim was a 14-year-old girl at the time of the offenses. According to the charging document on file in the courthouse, the victim’s mother had discovered that she was pregnant after taking her to the doctor. The document says that Sterling, then 20, had been dating the victim for about seven months and having sexual intercourse with her in her bedroom. The charging document says he admitted to the mother having sex with her daughter and exhibited an “I don’t care” attitude.

Sterling Was Convicted Of Illegally Carrying a Gun & Other Weapons Offenses
Alton Sterling was accused of intending to distribute, produce, or manufacture marijuana, court records show. In conjunction with the same charge, he was convicted of “knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance.” The drug charge was dismissed when he entered a guilty plea, the court records show.

In 2011, Sterling was sentenced to 5 years of hard labor in the Louisiana prison system concurrent with any other sentence.

In another probable cause affidavit, an officer, Corporal Paul Lockett, wrote that he was dispatched to a report of suspects trespassing at a home, where they had kicked in the front door and threatened the victim and her husband with a gun. In a probable cause affidavit accusing Sterling of burglary, the victim said that her door was kicked in and suspects presented several guns and made verbal threats.

Sterling Was Convicted of Domestic Battery in 2008
The court file says that Alton Sterling was convicted of domestic battery in 2008 against a member of his own household. Heavy.com is withholding the victim’s name. According to the court file, Sterling also pleaded guilty in this offense, which occurred on March 11, 2008. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with credit for time served.

In a 2008 domestic violence battery case, the probable cause statement says that Sterling and her girlfriend were involved in a “heated verbal argument that turned physical” because he was on the phone with a female. The girlfriend said she told Sterling to leave the car but he wouldn’t, so he choked and struck her, the probable cause statement said. The statement said that Sterling denied physically harming the woman and told police she had grabbed his dreadlocks. The probable cause statement said red bruising was observed on the victim’s neck.

In another domestic violence battery case, the charging document says that a girlfriend of Sterling’s said she was battered at a Mobil station and that “she and the defendant have been involved in several physical confrontations” and that she “had been battered during their relationship.”

In yet another case, Sterling was accused of entering a man’s house and demanding money. He then pushed and shoved the man, “tearing up furniture” and then others arrived to help destroy items, including appliances, the court affidavit says. The court record says that a police officer stopped Sterling, who said he had “tore up the apartment” because the victim had stolen his money. He gave his name as “Otis Deesnuts” and made a reference to a killing and having a barbecue, court records say.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Clearly a victim of the system.

 

[blue32]

Clearly a victim of the system.

My facebook feed is already blowing up w/support for this "family man" and "pillar of strength in the community"; yet nobody knows he was a registered sex offender. I wonder what they would think after seeing his criminal past.

 

[Denny Crane]

None of his prior crimes is justification for the cops to be arresting officers, prosecution, judge, jury, and executioner.

And none of his prior crimes changes whether he was a family man or not.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

None of his prior crimes is justification for the cops to be arresting officers, prosecution, judge, jury, and executioner.

And none of his prior crimes changes whether he was a family man or not.

No, what was justification for the cops was that he was reported to be brandishing a firearm. He apparently became agitated and resisted arrest and, in the officer's mind, went for the illegal firearm he had in his pocket.

The past crimes just show a pattern of his violent, criminal, anti-police, anti-authority behavior.


Domestic Violence? Raping a child? Those aren't indicators if someone is a family man or not?

 

[Denny Crane]

No, what was justification for the cops was that he was reported to be brandishing a firearm. He apparently became agitated and resisted arrest and, in the officer's mind, went for the illegal firearm he had in his pocket.


Domestic Violence? Raping a child? Those aren't indicators if someone is a family man or not?

Excessive force. The videos are clear that he was no threat at the time the cops drew their weapons and shot.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Excessive force. The videos are clear that he was no threat at the time the cops drew their weapons and shot.

No, they are not clear. His right arm appears to be free and moving and he had a gun in his pocket. The cops even stated he was going for his gun. That is a threat.

 

[Denny Crane]

No, they are not clear. His right arm appears to be free and moving and he had a gun in his pocket. The cops even stated he was going for his gun. That is a threat.

Yes they are clear. His right hand was free before the scuffle, too.