Alton Sterling's brother visits scene of police shooting: 'They're picking us off one by one'

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: Video footage shows killing of Alton Sterling

Under the slightly fading sign of the Baton Rouge Triple S Food Mart, in the shadow of the spot where his older brother Alton Sterlingwas fatally shot in the chest,DamienSterlinglets out hisanger, his griefand hisfrustration with law enforcement.

"They're picking us off one by one, man.All the people that can make a difference, make a change. They're trying to get rid of each and every one of us.But they can't, but they can't, but they can't, butthey can't. Because I'm Alton Sterling."

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Distraught and enraged, he standsbeside a makeshift memorial, a collection ofballoons, teddy bears and Black Lives Matterplacards, all to honour his brother Alton, 37, gunned down during an altercation with two white police officers early Tuesday. At the foot of the memorial lay afew candles, wherered wax had been sprinkled around on the parking lot ground to look like splattered blood.

According to at least two videos of the deadly confrontation, Sterling, who would regularly sell CDs outside the convenience store,appeared to be alreadypinned on his backwhen the shooting took place. And that has led to thisnorth Baton Rouge convenience store, normally a place wherepeople come and go to grab a soft drink or snack, to become a focal point signifyingthe tensions between police officials and black Americans.

Warning: This video, taken by the store's owner, contains disturbing images and graphic language.

WARNING: Graphic content and explicit language in 2nd video of police-involved shooting in Baton Rouge, La.

8 years ago

Duration 0:38

Cellphone footage said to be taken by stores owner shows death of Anton Sterling

Several people gathered on the sidewalktohold up signs calling for justiceand elicit honks from passing motorists.

High-ranking police officials may notbelieve that members of their force treat black residents like second-class citizens or criminals.

Many similar stories

But many black Baton Rouge residents do.

"If I call 911, they're going to handle me like I'm shit, like I'm nothing, like I'm not even a person," Damien Sterlingsaid.

Speakto local black residents, not activists or politicians,and they will sharemany similar stories that they've been hassled,stopped or questioned by police just forbeing black.

"Nine times out of 10, they mess with you for no reason.That's a prime example of it right there," said Daniel Brown, pointing to the spot where Sterling was killed.

"When you get off [work], you got to worry about 'Am I going to get stopped today?'" said Alton Wallace. "And if Idogetstopped, howwill it go? Will I get shot? Will I get somethingplantedon meand go to jail? What willhappen? You never know."

"They willharassyou. Igot pulled over two years ago for doing 36 in a 35," he said. And had it been a white person driving? It would have been adifferent outcome, he said.

So too would there have been a different conclusion had Sterling been white, Wallace said.

He wouldpurchase CDs from Sterling every Tuesday,andhe had just pulled out of the conveniencestore parking lot whenhe saw the officers arriving, unaware of what was to transpire.

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Police had been called to the convenience store following a report of a man witha gun.Ronnie Horton, who just hours before the shooting hadpurchased CDs from Sterling for his young daughter, said Sterling told himhe needed a gun for protectionbecause a friendof his, who also sold CDs, had been robbed.

It's unlikely Sterling had a permit for the gun becausehe was a convicted felon, and Horton said Sterling suggested to him as much.But a lawyerrepresentingmembers of the Sterlingfamily said that point is mootbecause police didn't know that at that time.

Horton said police seem to treat white Baton Rouge residents who own guns differently than black residents.

"White dudes walk into the store like they're cops with their concealed weapons on theirside. But we can't do it because,what, they think we have an attitude problem?" Horton said.

Several of the residents who spoke to CBC Newsmade it clearthere are good and bad police officers and theydon't believe all Baton Rouge officers have an issue with black residents. But too many of them do, they said, and it has led to a poor relationship between law enforcementand the community.

"I would say, overall, the relationshipbetween the cops isnot the worstitcould belike in some cities, but it's not good. It's far from good," said Joshua Wilson, 25.

'No trust'

He said police need to make more of an effort to be part of the community.

"There's no trust betweenthe police officers because we don'tknow them and they don't know us."

A partial solution, said resident Brittany Wilson, isto have more black police officers patrol inpredominantly black communities

"I feel like if we wouldhave had two black cops pullup here, it wouldhave been totallydifferent.Wewouldn'thave had this. It wouldn'thave escalated to this at all."

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