Two days after Alton Sterling was fatally shot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by a police officer, the Department of Justice has opened up an investigation.
NBC News reports that it was announced earlier today that the Department had launched an investigation, though officials have declined comment.
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“I have full confidence that this matter will be investigated thoroughly, impartially and professionally,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a conference yesterday.
Police were called to the scene on Tuesday after a homeless man reported Sterling was brandishing a gun at a convenience store. Cell phone video shows a police officer pinning Sterling to the ground before drawing his gun and shooting the 37-year-old father in the back.
Two officers, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, have been named, and they’ve both been placed on administrative duty.
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Since the shooting, various community leaders and state officials have been calling for the Baton Rouge police chief to step down from his post.
“This is a new day,” Baton Rouge NAACP President Mike McClanahan said at a conference. “We will not have anybody who allows type of action to take place.”