Justice Department Will Not Charge Officers In Fatal Shooting of Alton Sterling

The Justice Department will not charge the two officers involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, reports The New York Times.

Alton Sterling, 37, was shot dead last July by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana after he was pinned to the ground by the two officers who were arresting him.

Justice Department investigation into Alton Sterling shooting

His death sparked national outcry and protests, leading the Justice Department’s civil rights division, under former President Barack Obama, to open an investigation into the high-profile shooting with the F.B.I. and the United States attorney’s office in Baton Rouge.

Sterling was shot several times in the chest and back outside of a convenience store after police responded to a 911 call about a man selling music CDs threatening the caller with a gun. The shooting was recorded by multiple witnesses.

Though the owner of the store, Abdul Muflahi, said Sterling did not have a gun in his hand, he reportedly saw police pull a handgun from Sterling’s pocket. Louisiana is an open-carry state.