Sterling, 37, died in July last year after being shot in the chest and back while he was pinned to the ground in a parking lot outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last year.
Alton Sterling’s family wept outside a Baton Rouge court on Wednesday after being told by Department of Justice officials that the two cops who shot him would not face federal charges.
Sterling, 37, died in July last year after being shot in the chest and back while he was pinned to the ground in a parking lot outside a convenience store.
The two white police officers who killed him, Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, claimed they believed he was reaching for his gun when they opened fire.
His death was caught on video and sparked protests across Louisiana and the rest of the country.
On Tuesday, rumors circulated that the Department of Justice had concluded its investigation into the case and were not planning to charge either officer due to lack of evidence.
The rumors were confirmed in Baton Rouge on Wednesday where the man’s family were told unequivocally that charges would not be brought.
Louisiana prosecutors have vowed to launch their own investigation to determine whether state charges are applicable.
In a statement, Justice Department officials said there was insufficient evidence to disprove the officer’s claims that they felt their lives were in danger when they opened fire.
‘Although the videos show that Sterling’s right hand was not in or near his right pocket, Sterling was continuing to move, even after being shot three times and being told again not to move by Officer Lake.
‘Meanwhile, the officers were behind Sterling, and Officer Salamoni was lying on the ground, facing Sterling’s back.
‘Given these circumstances, the evidence cannot establish beyond a reasonable doubt that it did not appear to Officer Salamoni that Sterling was reaching for his pocket.
‘Nor could the Department prove that the officer’s conduct was willful, ‘ the Justice Department said.
The two officers were called to a convenience store on July 7,2016, after receiving reports of a man with a gun outside.
Once there, they tackled Sterling to the ground and climbed on top of him as he writhed on the floor.
His family claimed to have been told on Wednesday that before the shooting, the officers approached Sterling and threatened to kill him.
The family arrived for the court holding hands and wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the words ‘human rights’.
The choice not to prosecute the two officers who were investigated for possible wrongdoing is the first of its kind under Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
It comes a day after the white Charleston police officer who shot Walter Scott dead accepted a plea deal which could see him jailed for life.
Michael Slager pleaded guilty to violation of Scott’s civil rights. His family welcomed the development, describing it as a ‘victory for justice’
Civil rights groups, banded under a lengthy campaign by the group Black Lives Matters, protested against the Justice Department’s decision on Wednesday, describing it as a sign that Sessions believes ‘black lives do not matter’.
