NAACP Wants A Grand Jury Hearing In Sterling Shooting
Several protesters marched into Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office on Monday demanding a grand jury look at the evidence from the Alton Sterling investigation.
Landry announced last week two white police officers will not be criminally charged in the 2016 shooting death of a black man. But Louisiana NAACP President Michael McClanahan says the violent video of the shooting released on Friday should be reviewed by a 12-member panel to determine if criminal charges are warranted.
"Put it in front of 12. I think that if that been done, we would at least see that the process was there and the process should work to a greater or lesser degree for everybody."
McClanahan says they are peacefully protesting and they plan to go back to Landry’s office every day until the A-G comes out and speaks with them. McClanahan expects the groups to get larger and remain camped out for longer stints.
"At some point, we're not only going to be there at lunch time, but we'll be there from breakfast, lunch and dinner. We're going to swell to where we'll be able to occupy the building at all times that building and the grounds."
Body cam and surveillance video from a convenience store showed officer Blane Salamoni yelling obscenities and putting his gun to Sterling’s head, and then shooting him six times after a brief struggle. McClanahan feels the officers did not go there to make peace with Sterling.
"The police officer came there with killing on their mind. We have police officers on our force that are sworn to serve and protect that let things get out of hand and kill on of our citizenry."