A settlement has been reached in the wrongful death lawsuit of Alton Sterling, a Black man fatally shot by a Louisiana cop in 2016. According to ABC News, the East Baton Rouge Metro Council voted in favor giving the family a multi-million dollar settlement to Sterling’s family.
“I am pleased our metro council was able to find a consensus and approve an offer of settlement in the Alton Sterling civil case,” Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome tweeted on Wednesday (Feb. 10). “After nearly five years, the people of Baton Rouge are finally one step closer to getting much needed closure in this traumatic episode in our history. Now, we must continue the work of building a more fair and equitable community, where every citizen is treated justly, no matter their race or ethnicity.”
Sterling was outside of a convenience store on July 5, 2016 when he was approached by ex-cop Blane Salamoni and Officer Howie Lake who were responding to a call about a man selling homemade CDs in front of the food mart. As they wrestled him to the ground, they noticed he was armed, and Salamoni shot the detained man six times.
Sterling’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Salamoni and Lake, the city of Baton Rouge, its police department and former police chief, alleging the involved officers used excessive force and fit a pattern of racist behavior. It also attributed Sterling’s death to poor training and inadequate police procedures.
Trial was pushed back a few times but set for March 2021 back in November after the council voted against a $5 million settlement for Sterling’s family. Now, they are offering $4.5 million to the family.
Following Sterling’s death Salamoni was terminated from his position, and Lake was dismissed from the case. Protests about racial discrimination and police brutality also erupted across the nation.