Library Chronicles: Recusals

Monday, July 11, 2016

Recusals

Baton Rouge District Attorney recuses himself from prosecuting the Baton Rouge police who murdered Alton Sterling.

Moore said the only factor for the him in reaching this decision involves his relationship to the parents of officer Blane Salamoni. His parents are both experienced law enforcement professionals who have achieved senior leadership positions within the Baton Rouge Police Department, Moore said.

Salamoni's mother was the violent crime and crime scene commander during most of the District Attorney's term of office and interacted personally and professionally with the District Attorney in establishing the parish-wide violent crime unit in 2010, according to a report Moore released following Monday's news conference.

Earlier the officers' body cams recused themselves as well when they conveniently "came loose" during the incident. Luckily, there were other cameras on the scene that night. Unluckily, they have been.. well.. let's call it involuntarily recused.

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — The owner of the convenience store where Alton Sterling was killed last week by cops alleges in a lawsuit that police stole surveillance video from his shop, confiscated his cell phone, and locked him inside a car for the next four hours.

Abdullah Muhlafi, proprietor of the Triple S Mart, saw police confront and kill Sterling who was selling CDs with his permission in the front parking lot last Tuesday night. Muhlafi recorded part of the incident in footage he gave The Daily Beast last week that shows Sterling did not have a weapon in his hand when Officer Howie Lake shouted “gun!” and Officer Blane Salamoni fired six shots into his chest.

Muhlafi claims in a lawsuit filed Monday in Baton Rouge district court that after Salamoni killed Sterling, he immediately ordered two responding officers to confiscate the “entire store security system” and detain him.

So that's fun.

Meanwhile, John Bel Edwards has praised the conduct of the police at nearly every opportunity. After they harassed and arrested over 100 protesters on Saturday night, he thanked them for their "moderate response." After police in riot gear had brutally advanced on and dispersed a peaceful crowd near downtown Baton Rouge on Sunday, one would expect the governor to maybe take a more critical stance. One would be disappointed, though.