The Baton Rouge Police shooting of Alton Sterling caused the U.S. Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation of the incident, which occurred outside of a convenience store early Tuesday morning. Federal officials will collect all of the available evidence and facts regarding the shooting in order to “conduct a fair, thorough and impartial investigation,” New Orleans division spokesman Craig Betbeze said. Baton Rouge District Attorney, Hillar Moore III, said that he supports the federal investigation of the Alton Sterling’s death.
The shooting of Alton Sterling was caught on a cell phone camera and posted online, causing a nationwide uproar and ongoing protests in the city of Baton Rouge. Sterling’s family and Baton Rouge community leaders are calling for answers and justice to the shooting. The investigation is ongoing at this moment.