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Rep: 'We don't have a definitive time period' for Sterling announcement

6 years 10 months 3 weeks ago Tuesday, May 02 2017 May 2, 2017 May 02, 2017 11:02 AM May 02, 2017 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana representative who suggested a Tuesday announcement date for a Department of Justice statement on the Alton Sterling shooting now says he is unsure.

In a Tuesday video Twitter town hall with the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D – House District 2) said he believes the announcement from the DOJ could come anytime in the next two weeks.

“We don’t have a definitive time period,” Richmond responded to a tweet from WBRZ’s Natalia Verdina.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie told Talk107.3 Tuesday morning that he has not received any warning on a DOJ announcement.

"I would like to think we would get some advance warning as to when it's going to come out," Dabadie said. "But as of right now, we haven't gotten that."

Click here to listen to Dabadie's full interview with Talk107.3. 

Richmond urged federal authorities to be more open about its investigation in a letter last week. He said he was frustrated by chatter among local officials that the DOJ is expected to release details about the investigation this week.

“… persistent rumors are circulating in the Baton Rouge area… rumors have risen to the point that local schools and other organizations are expediting funds to prepare for a Tuesday announcement,” Rep. Richmond wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

WBRZ has been working to confirm details of a possible federal announcement this week, but sources have refused to be identified by name in reports, and chatter has been similar to rumors of an announcement expected earlier in 2017 and in late 2016. Rep. Richmond was the first official to publicly speak – and identify Tuesday as a date of an announcement.

A federal announcement is expected to determine if Sterling's civil rights were violated by his shooting death. The Justice Department should reveal whether or not the two officers will be indicted or not.

WBRZ recorded video Friday evening of obvious police activity in certain areas – barricades being stored around Baton Rouge Police Headquarters, the center of protests following Sterling's death.

 

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