As expected, the Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it will not bring civil rights charges against two white police officers who shot and killed a black man selling CDs outside of a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, convenience store last summer.
"After an exhaustive, almost year-long investigation, all of the prosecutors and agents involved in this case have come to the conclusion that insufficient evidence exists to charge either officer with a federal crime in connection with this incident," Baton Rouge Acting U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson said during a news conference. Alton Sterling, 37, was shot and killed July 5 following a scuffle with officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, who were put on paid administrative leave after the incident. The officers had been looking for a suspect who matched Sterling's description, police said, and after they tackled Sterling, he allegedly reached for a gun before officers opened fire. The incident was caught on video, and many who have seen the footage say it did not show Sterling reaching for a weapon. After the shooting, protesters marched for several days, with 150 arrested.
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