Louisiana police officer who shot Alton Sterling dead fired

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The white police officer who fatally shot Alton Sterling during a struggle outside a convenience store nearly two years ago, a killing that set off widespread protests, has been fired.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul announced officer Blane Salamoni's firing on Friday, less than a week after Louisiana's attorney general ruled out criminal charges in Sterling's death. Paul also suspended officer Howie Lake II, the other officer involved in the deadly confrontation, for three days.

Both officers had remained on paid administrative leave since the shooting.

In the body camera's video footage of the encounter, an officer can be heard repeatedly using profanity as he shouts at Sterling and at one point threatens to shoot him in the head as Sterling asks what he did.

When Sterling complains that the officers are hurting him, one of the officers says to use a taser on him and an electric buzzing can be heard. The officer believed to be Salamoni then runs at Sterling, tackling him as the video footage blurs due to the motion.

Salamoni shot Sterling six times during the struggle outside the Triple S Food Mart, where the 37-year-old black man was selling homemade CDs. Lake helped wrestle Sterling to the ground but didn't fire his weapon.

Sterling's death inflamed racial tensions in Baton Rouge and led to protests where nearly 200 people were arrested.

Source(s): AP