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Protests erupt in Baton Rouge after graphic video of police shooting surfaces

Police have confirmed a man was shot early Tuesday morning.

Ariel Bogle

on July 6, 2016

Protesters flooded the streets of Baton Rogue, Louisiana, Tuesday evening after disturbing footage emerged of local police appearing to shoot a man as he was held to the ground.

The man, Alton Sterling, 37, was shot outside a convenience store at around 12:35 a.m. Tuesday morning during an altercation with two officers, Baton Rogue Police confirmed in a statement. He died at the scene and police are investigating.

According to police, officers had responded to a disturbance call from an unnamed person about a black male who was selling music CD's and had threatened him with a gun.

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A 48-second video that appears to be of the incident, apparently shot on a smartphone, has since been posted online. In the video, a policeman can be seen tackling a man in a red shirt before another officer helps him hold him to the ground.

One of the officers draws his gun and holds it to the man's head, as one says "you f***ing move, I swear to God." Moments later, at least two shots can be heard, followed by approximately three more.

An autopsy showed Sterling, of Baton Rouge, died Tuesday of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and back, according to Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. William Clark.

Warning: This video contains graphic footage some readers may find disturbing.

Protesters met outside the store where the incident occurred Tuesday night. Up to 50 people gathered, The Advocate reported, carrying signs that said "Black Lives Matter and "Hands up, Don't shoot."

"He would have never fought the police," Sharida Sterling, a cousin of the deceased, told the newspaper. "He wouldn't have pulled a gun, he would have been too scared."

The convenience store owner and witness Abdullah Muflahi told The Advocate an officer yelled "gun" during the altercation. Muflahi said Sterling wasn't holding a weapon and did not have his hand near his pocket. He said he saw an officer retrieve a handgun from the man's pocket afterward.

After the shooting, the officers seemed like they were "freaking out," Muflahi said.

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The hashtag #AltonSterling also began trending on social media as users shared their fear and anger about his death.

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According to a tweet from journalist Wesley Lowery, local Congressman Cedric Richmond has called for a Justice Department investigation into the shooting. Richmond called the incident "deeply troubling."

"I share in this anger and join the community in the pursuit of justice," he said. "I call on the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a full and transparent investigation into this incident. The cause of justice requires state and local law enforcement to join in this request as soon as possible."

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Additional reporting provided by the Associated Press.

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Ariel Bogle

Ariel Bogle was an associate editor with Mashable in Australia covering technology. Previously, Ariel was associate editor at Future Tense in Washington DC, an editorial initiative between Slate and New America.