Within a few seconds, Officer Lake reached into Sterling’s right pocket and pulled out a .38 caliber revolver. Investigators later confirmed that Sterling’s gun was loaded with six bullets at the time of this exchange.
.. So:
- Alton Sterling had a fully loaded weapon in his pocket
- He refused police orders to put his hands on the car, until an officer pointed a weapon at him
- Even then, he tried to remove his hands from the car
- The Taser did not work on him (he was 6’3″ and weighed over 300 pounds)
- The officers could not subdue Sterling, especially not his right hand, which they both testified was reaching for the gun in his right pocket. This could not be verified with the camera, but the fact that his right hand was not under the officers’ control was verified by the camera, as was the fact that he had a loaded pistol in his right pocket
Keep in mind as you watch the coverage over the next few days that Alton Sterling was a thug with a long criminal rap sheet, including:
- 9/09/96 aggravated battery
- 10/31/97 2nd degree battery
- 1/06/98 simple battery
- 5/04/00 public intimidation
- 9/20/00 carnal knowledge of a juvenile
- 9/04/01 domestic violence
- 5/24/05 burglary of an inhabited dwelling place
- 7/11/05 receiving stolen things
- 9/12/05 burglary of inhabited dwelling place
- 3/17/06 simple criminal damage to property, simple robbery, simple theft, drug possession, misrepresentation during booking, simple battery, aggravated battery
- 4/12/06 aggravated battery, simple criminal damage to property, disturbing the peace, unauthorized entry
- 4/04/08 domestic abuse battery
- 6/03/09 resisting an officer, drug possession, receiving stolen things, possession of stolen firearm, illegal carrying of a weapon with CDs, sound reproduct without consent
- 10/12/09 illegal carrying of weapon, marijuana possession
- 8/13/15 failure to register as a sex offender
- 4/08/16 failure to register as a sex offender
- 6/14/16 ecstacy and marijuana possession