Officer involved in Alton Sterling shooting gets fired

Former officer Blane Salamoni was terminated from the Baton Rouge Police Department yesterday after an internal investigation deemed that he had violated at least two departmental policies during the encounter with Alton Sterling. BRPD also released Salamoni's body camera footage (so those of you who claimed all the video evidence was destroyed....I guess it wasn't, eh?)

BRPD Chief Murphy Paul stated during a press conference that Salamoni's actions "were not a minor deviation" from policy, and that they contributed to the outcome of the encounter. Chief Paul specifically cited violations for "command of temper" and "use of force." Chief Paul also stated that the other officer involved in the shooting was attempting de-escalation of the situation when Salamoni arrived on scene. Almost immediately after getting out of his patrol vehicle, Salamoni goes hands on with Sterling and tells him that he (Salamoni) will "shoot you in the #ing head." After the shooting takes place, Salamoni is recorded while he searches Sterling's pockets and walking around the scene, during which he repeatedly calls Sterling a "stupid mother#."

Chief Paul stated that during the investigation, the other officer involved answered all questions investigators had and was cooperative, while Salamoni declined to answer any questions whatsoever. Finally, the chief had this to say:

He also said: “Fear cannot be a driver for an officer’s response to every incident. Unreasonable fear within an officer is dangerous.”

Salamoni has indicated that he plans to appeal the firing.

NY Times with bodycam.

UPI without bodycam.

good.

This is quite clearly a case of the victim being of no threat to the officer. The officer should not just be fired, but should be in jail for murder.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Salamoni's actions "were not a minor deviation" from policy, and that they lead to the outcome of the encounter.

If not for his actions this wouldn't have happened, so why is this guy not facing charges?

a reply to: DAVID64

I misquoted the chief, he said that they contributed to the outcome, not lead to it.

Let that be a lesson to everyone. If you were to grab a cop, slam him into a car, put a gun to his head and threaten to shoot him, and then shoot him, you could wind up losing your job. Assuming, of course, that you actually violated McDonald's Use of Force policy.

a reply to: Shamrock6

it would be interesting to go back and read all of yalls comments on the event when it happened.

hmmmmmmmm

a reply to: Shamrock6

Could this mean that even though the feds determined they acted properly that the state could still bring charges?

a reply to: Shamrock6

Fair enough...but still, how the hell is this guy not facing charges?

“These actions were not minor deviations from policy,” Chief Murphy Paul of the Baton Rouge Police Department said. “And they contributed to the outcome that resulted in the death of another human being.”

Honestly not trying to start a "I hate cops" rant, but can you see how this is a major cause of fear and distrust for LE?
If this was a regular person, I can almost guarantee they'd be charged with something.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Nope

The decision came after the Louisiana attorney general, Jeff Landry, said on Tuesday that the officers would not be charged with state-level crimes, and after the Justice Department declined last May to seek federal civil rights charges.

a reply to: howtonhawky

Happy hunting

a reply to: TNMockingbird

No, the state declined to bring charges.

a reply to: DAVID64

If this was a regular person, I can almost guarantee they'd be charged with something.

If this was a regular person I can almost guarantee they wouldn't have been told to go deal with a gun pointing a gun at people.

Fair enough...but still, how the hell is this guy not facing charges?

I suspect it's the totality of the circumstances. They were dispatched to a call involving a guy pointing a gun at somebody, or flashing the gun at somebody. Sterling was resisting. Sterling was armed. They claim Sterling reached for the gun in his pocket, and I haven't seen any video that shows what and where Sterling's right hand was when they said he was reaching for the gun so we don't have anything that I know of that indicates he wasn't reaching for it. The fact that Salamoni was being a dickhead doesn't change the fact that they knew Sterling was armed and that, supposedly, he reached for it.

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: howtonhawky

Happy hunting

There is nothing to really hunt for since the same script is used over and over.

I have been down that road and found that necessity always trumps truth here.

Have a fine April fools day!

a reply to: howtonhawky

There is nothing to really hunt for since the same script is used over and over.

Not really, but I'm sure it's easier for you to argue as if that were the case. If you're too lazy to go look for something, don't talk about going to look for it.

I have been down that road and found that necessity always trumps truth here.

Coming from somebody who literally makes things up and then presents them as facts, that's rich.

Have a fine April fools day!

You too, fella

a reply to: Shamrock6

lol

the joke is on you this round.

a reply to: howtonhawky

Just because you keep saying that every time you try to find some sort of gotcha! moment with me doesn't make it true.

Go derail some other thread.

a reply to: DAVID64

: Shamrock6

Fair enough...but still, how the hell is this guy not facing charges?

any questions