The death of Alton Sterling, who was shot by Baton Rouge police as he was pinned down to the ground, has sparked another racial injustice in America. As protests against the police's action rage on, a group of netizens launched a fund-raising drive for Alton Sterling's family. The 37-year-old father apparently left behind five kids.
A Go Fund Me page initiated by actress Issa Rae was set up on Wednesday, July 6, a day after Alton Sterling was shot. Rae posted a call on Twitter to help the children, saying that the fund will go to their college education.
As of press time, the fund's goal has breached the $491,191 mark when it originally had a goal of $200,000. Nearly 17,000 netizens have contributed to the call for the children who will grow up trying to understand what happened to their father. Alton Sterling's eldest is only 15-years-old.
Can we got a scholarship fund going 4 #AltonSterling's son/kids? Some of us feel helpless when these things happen, but that's a small step.
— Issa Rae (@IssaRae) July 6, 2016
So, why was Alton Sterling shot by the police? According to The Advocate, he was selling CDs outside a food mart when Baton Rogue cops, Officer Blane Salamoni and Officer Howie Lake II, answered to a disturbance call. A man with a gun was allegedly threatening people outside the food mart, the call claimed.
When the cops arrived at the scene, several witnesses stated that there had been altercation with Alton Sterling, which led to the latter's shooting. The whole thing was caught on video, but the clip suggested that the cops might have pulled the gun on Alton Sterling unnecessarily.
Per Huffington Post, Alton Sterling was "shoved, pushed and manhandled" by the cops before he was shot. Those who know the man well say that he would not have fought against the authorities while being questioned, but he had the gun to protect himself from robbers.
#AltonSterling and his family. pic.twitter.com/ycLxGu8I9q — Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) July 6, 2016
Fox reports that the Department of Justice is already investigating the incident, especially after the video surfaced. The police embroiled in the incident have been suspended and there are calls for the resignation of the chief and the mayor of Baton Rouge.
Below is Alton Sterling's video. It might be disturbing to watch, so please do so at your own discretion.
