Second Video of Alton Sterling's Shooting Death Seems to Contradict Police Claim That He Was Holding a Gun
Abdullah Muflahti, the owner of the convenience store outside of which his friend Alton Sterling was killed on Tuesday, has shared new footage of the shooting with The Daily Beast. The video—filmed at a different angle than the video that emerged earlier this week—appears to contradict the claim by authorities that Sterling was threatening police with a gun.
Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake were on the scene responding to a 911 call about a man, matching Sterling’s description at the store’s location, who “pulled a gun,” WAFB-TV reports. “2100 North Foster, cross Fairfield. Selling CDs on the corner. Gun in his pocket,” the police dispatcher said. “He pulled a gun on a complainant and told him he couldn’t be around there.” The original 911 call has not yet been released.
Despite what police have said, Muflahti told The Daily Beast that he saw no “altercation” between Sterling and the officers until they tasered and tackled him. The video Muflahti recorded of what happened next is embedded below. Please be aware that it is very graphic.
Police seized footage from Muflahti’s surveillance cameras, despite his objections that they needed a warrant. But unbeknownst to them, Muflahti and another bystander, Arthur Reed, had also recorded the incident on their cell phones.
The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting.