DOJ Unable to Wrap Alton Sterling Probe on BLM Timetable

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has still not set a timetable on when the police officer-involved shooting death of Alton Sterling will be concluded.

United States District Attorney Walt Green said this week that Sterling’s death, which caused national outrage and led to sometimes violent protests by the Black Lives Matter organization, continued to be a
“top priority” for the department, but they were not able to give a date on when the investigated would be finished.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, working closely with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, continues to make this investigation a top priority,” Green said in a statement.

“To date, a team of career federal prosecutors, FBI agents and support personnel have devoted hundreds of hours to the investigation,” Green said. “Due to the breadth, scope and seriousness of the investigation, all three participating agencies have dedicated significant resources to the case.”

“The investigation remains ongoing, and will conclude only when we have gathered, reviewed and evaluated all available evidence,” Green continued. “There is no timetable for when this will be finished.

Green said the departments “stand committed to taking all necessary steps to reach a just result based solely on the facts and the law.”

The announcement is likely to draw ire from Sterling’s family and Baton Rouge, Louisiana residents aligned with Black Lives Matter.

Last month, Sterling’s family and other protesters demanded the federal departments “swiftly conclude its investigation,” when giving a list of demands, according to WBRZ.

The family demanded that Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden write a letter to the Obama Administration asking for a quick investigation into the matter.

Another demand requested a special task force be created in Baton Rouge consisting of protesters and “community organizers” to reform the Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD).

“You cannot prevent an Alton Sterling encounter without economic development in black communities,” the list read, asking that black residents’ businesses be involved in the police reform efforts.

John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.

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