Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old Black man, was shot and killed point blank by two white police officers in Baton Rouge, La., onJuly 5, 2016,outside of a convenience store where he sold CDs. A video captured by a bystander went viral, prompting protests and outrage across the country.
The U.S. Justice Department led by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will not charge the Baton Rouge officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, according to The Washington Post and The New York Times.
The decision highlights Sessions and his approach to civil rights that was first rebuked in a letter of testimony by the late Coretta Scott King. It marks the first time the Justice Department under Sessions has publicly declined to prosecute officers investigated for possible wrongdoing in a high-profile case.
