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The store's owner, Abdullah Muflahi, has known Sterling for years, and claimed to see the whole thing. He told the Advocate, a local paper, that the cops were "aggressive," adding that he saw the officers initially use a Taser to little or no effect. He said cops later took a gun from Sterling's pocket, but also that the deceased wasn't holding the weapon or trying to retrieve it during the confrontation.Beyond the cellphone video, Sterling's death was captured by multiple other cameras. Muflahi said his store's surveillance cameras would have filmed it, and the cops apparently confiscated the footage. A police spokesman told the Advocate that cop cars had dash cams and both officers were wearing body cams—though the latter apparently came loose during the incident.
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On Wednesday morning, Sterling's family and community activists gathered for a press conference at city hall. Mike McClanahan, the head of the local chapter of the NAACP, demanded the release of additional videos showing the shooting in more detail, as well as the firing of the police chief, Carl Dabadie Jr., and the resignation of Kip Holden, the mayor of Baton Rouge. He also called for the arrest of the officers responsible."I want [the officers] to know—them and their friends, because they run in packs like dogs—that their day of reckoning is upon them," he said. "We will not stop until justice is served, not only for this young man that died, but for all the others who have died and been abused by unlawful police officers."The mother of Sterling's oldest child, a 15-year-old, broke down while addressing the media, vowing not to rest until "adequate justice is served to all parties involved."As some people leave, lots more come. A younger crowd now outside where — Bryn Stole (@BrynStole)July 6, 2016
Mayor Holden, who has announced his intention to run for Congress, promised a full investigation into the shooting. At a Wednesday press conference, Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, urged leaders to make sure that further protests remain civil and calm. "Violence and the destruction of property is not the answer to anything we are facing today," he said, adding that Sterling's family was also calling for nonviolence.Edwards also announced the US Department of Justice would be looking into the shooting. "I have very serious concerns," he told reporters. "The video is disturbing to say the least."Follow Harry Cheadle on Twitter.