Alton Sterling shooting: Piecing together what happened before the videos

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

The 911 call that brought police to a Baton Rouge convenience store Tuesday came from a homeless man, according to a senior law enforcement official. The homeless man had approached Alton Sterling, repeatedly asking him for money, the official said. Sterling showed his gun and the homeless man called police, according to the official. Sterling was later shot by police at the scene.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/07/us/baton-rouge-alton-sterling-shooting/index.html

[JustAnotherGen]

1. How did a homeless man have a cell phone

Last edited Thu Jul 7, 2016, 12:19 PM - Edit history (1)

To make the call? Hmmm . . . since Alton Sterling prior criminal history is being brought into question -


I think its fair to question how 'homeless' this man was? Or was he a criminal and a hustler? What's his background?

[brooklynite]

2. Prepaid burner phones aren't expensive...and homeless doesn't mean cut off from the world

[JustAnotherGen]

3. they are normally

Purchased out of trunks after they have been stolen from Direct Fullment warehouses at the major carriers. It's more cost effective to send them back on ship to China where you can get between $700 and $2000 per device - and then redistribute whereever you need to in the world.

Post Fraud Review theft is one of my five wheelhouses at work - so I live this daily. Even on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

HOW did he get the actually POST PAID unlocked stolen phone with a minimum street value of $750 most likely with a stolen shadow sim card installed?

[brooklynite]

6. Nobody said this was an iPhone with all the latest features...

https://shop.riteaid.com/electronics-office/electronics/cell-phones-accessories

[ret5hd]

8. The cheapest phone i see here is $9.99

http://www.walmart.com/c/kp/prepaid-smartphones


It is a "Straight Talk LG Optimus Dynamic II Android Prepaid Smartphone". I don't know how much a card would cost to "charge" the phone, but I bet it's not $690.

[AtheistCrusader]

13. Don't need a sim card to call 911.

[AtheistCrusader]

12. Cell phones don't need active contracts to dial 911.

So your 'wheelhouse' probably doesn't include knowing much about cell phones, specifically.

I could dig around in a junk drawer, pull out a 8 year old Motorola flip phone piece of shit that doesn't even have a SIM card in it, carrier locked to Verizon whom I haven't had a contract with in about 6 years, plug it in to the wall wait about 20 seconds for it to build up enough minimum charge to start, power it on, and dial 911 and it will go through.

You might be an expert in worst-case scenario top dollar phone value/theft/fraud, but you don't know much about cell phones in general.

[JustAnotherGen]

18. I know that

I probably launched that motorola device in your drawer seeing as that is about the time frame I was on the device launch team. 57 of those fuckers in 23 months.

[AtheistCrusader]

20. Then why are you trying to call into question the integrity of the homeless person that allegedly

called it in by way of the most elaborate and high-value cell phone theft treadmill you can think of?

It's an allegation. It will be supported or deconstructed in time. Doesn't need you throwing up chaff in an attempt to discredit the claim. The call that precipitated the Terry stop on Alton Sterling may actually have been above-board and proper.

It might also be bullshit. Likely, that can be proven. John Crawford was shot by police after someone called him in as having 'waved a gun around and pointed it at people' in Wal-Mart. Surveillance video showed that to be absolute bullshit.* Truth will out.

(*caller not prosecuted, sadly.)

[JustAnotherGen]

21. Same way three posters at DU

Called out Mr. Sterling (might want to delete your other rotten post to me - the post -not you)

as being a 'felon' yesterday.

His status had nothing to do with those shots fired into his body.


You discredit him.

I discredit this trouble maker.

Understand - the media will do anything and everything they can do to blame our murders on us. They always do it to us (black people). Without a doubt. And that's the intent of putting out this 'he threatened me with a gun' story.

I want to know everything there is to know about this guy.

[AtheistCrusader]

22. Philando Castile's death looks to be a hill that can be defended.

I'm going to spend my time on that.

Alton's status as a convicted felon, and a Domestic Violence conviction, means he was going to jail that day the moment the police started to interview him. No exceptions. Have a gun and a DV conviction? You go to jail. Period. It's a felony.

So, the allegation of a person calling 911 about him or a person who looks like him, having threatened them with a gun, is relevant and may explain the police approaching him with a heightened sense of alarm. Moreover, the fact that he DID have a firearm on his person actually lends credence to the claim of someone calling 911 about it.

There are other facts that will need to be verified, such as 'he resisted tasing' which is not in the video. But all in all, it's within the realm of shit that can happen when the police think you are armed and resisting arrest.

Philando on the other hand, zero evidence, zero credible claims that he did anything whatsoever that precipitated that shooting. The police story doesn't make sense on its face. Car pulled over for a broken taillight? Clearly one asks the PASSENGER for id, right? No? So, likely an unlawful stop then? Yes. And then shot a licensed CPL holder that was carrying lawfully and zero evidence of any threatening behavior.

I pick my battles. But I base them in facts. There isn't even an allegation that the homeless person that allegedly contacted 911 about Alton did so with a high-end stolen phone. None at all. Except from you.

[psychmommy]

26. Going to jail and incurring new charges is one thing.

Being murdered because someone gave a phone tip, not an official complaint is whole other animal.

[AtheistCrusader]

27. If the phone tip is verified that's a problem.

All one of the officers had to do was sit on his hip, and they'd find the gun. They were likely already in a heightened sense of alarm due to the alleged tip. Shit gets bad quick in that scenario, when you have a suspect that is not fully compliant.


Castile is a better battle to fight, because all allegations and character witnesses have him as a calm, compliant, no reason to fight back sort of guy.

Alton was allegedly resisting arrest and had solid motive to escape police custody if he was indeed carrying a firearm.


Castile is the real deal. If you want a case that shows that being an upstanding, law abiding citizen, that complies and is helpful during a traffic stop, and still gets killed for the color of his skin, there it is.

Yes, I think it's reasonable to think something might be do-able about the use of force against Alton, but that is some seriously muddy waters. Philandro's case looks to be holding up in full sunlight. He could have been me, but for the color of my skin, and they shot him dead.

[psychmommy]

28. They had him subdued on the ground. They could have taken the weapon from him. they could have said

why they were coming for him. Any reasonable human being would expect to be told why the cop is telling you to get down the ground. That is except black people were are just expected to get down on the ground. It really doesn't matter because no one is going to pay for either of these murders.

[AtheistCrusader]

29. How many guns have you taken out of someone else's hand or pocket?

You know that they can go off when the trigger is pulled, right?

This is not Hollywood bullshit. It's not a joke. I cannot believe I an being put in the position of having to point this out. Firearms are force multipliers. If you have a firearm and are actively resisting arrest, (which may well have been a lawful arrest with probable cause in this case) the police can, actually, shoot you based on their subjective appreciation of risk.

I have been told to get down on the ground before. I did not stop and ask questions. There are ways to redress false arrest and other color of law violations. None of them do me any good if I'm bleeding out on the ground.

[psychmommy]

31. Dude was on top of him, he was subdued. You have to have a finger on the trigger for it to fire.

[AtheistCrusader]

32. We have different defintions of 'subdued'.

I am not comfortable with the level of force they employed, but given certain realities like, the 911 call actually panning out, this entire thing might chalk up to 'justifiable' even if I'm not ok with it.

Philandro Castile on the other hand... that one chalks up to complete and outright overzealous police force without any justification whatsoever.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. You apparently don't remember the whole 'Obamaphone' controversy

http://www.lifelinesupport.org/ls/

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Nahh - that was bogus

There are thieves among us. Perhaps the person who called the police was HARASSING and threatening Mr. Sterling and Mr. Sterling should have called the police on him? Then again - they STILL would have shot Mr. Sterling so his approach of 'not getting people who shoot black men randomly' involved was the better solution.

There's a lot of acid in this post - and its not directed at you or brooklynite. I'm sick to death of these people always getting away with it and Murder Victims Being Held Responsible for their Own Murder.

The only reason the media is trying to put this out there is to discredit Mr. Sterling.

Well I'm going to discredit their discreditor.

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Then you should get your facts in order.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. Make me

[citood]

7. Alot of homeless advocates encourage phone use

For a homeless person, step 1 to getting off the street is often re-connecting with a social support system - usually family.

Its also useful for trying to arrange rides, find a place to spend the night, etc.

So, its not at all surprising to me that a homeless person would have a phone.

Kind of moot anyway. The important part is what happened after the police got there...not really who called them there.

[hollowdweller]

9. So called "Obamaphones" were a blessing to me

In the old days when I worked everybody had an address so when I tried to contact them I could get them. Even alcoholics often lived in campers on their friends or parents property so I could get a hold of them and ask them questions about their claims.

However once the opioiod epidemic hit us that changed. Where an alcoholic might steal some grocery money for a six pack, if you had a drug addict living on your place you might come home and find your jewelry or TV or something else gone. You might even get killed if you didn't give money.

So in the mid 2000's I'd encounter large amounts of people with no fixed address.

The law said we could not deny their claim without contacting them and their listed contact by phone or mail at least 2 times.
So we'd have these claims around, unable to get needed information because the person was unreachable, but we'd have to hold them a long time with our mean processing time going up on the case and mgmt breathing down our neck because we had to jump thru the hoops to get the case out.

With the "Obamaphones" most of the time we could get a hold of the person and get the information even if they had been kicked out for stealing, or jailed or whatever because they had the free phone on them. Loved it.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. Alton Brown is a celebrity chef type food commentator.

He's a good guy, and very helpful if you want to learn how to cook better.

Not much relation to this story however.

[Aristus]

23. I worked at a medical clinic for homeless patients for four years.

I can tell you, there isn't, or shouldn't be, anything unusual about a homeless person having a cell phone. For a number of reasons. First of all, they may be newly homeless, with a phone and a plan purchased before whatever event caused them to be homeless. Second, basic cell phones are dirt-cheap, and often, so are the plans that come with them. If a homeless person earns an income (and many of them do; before one says: "Why don't they just go get a job?" consider that many homeless work - usaually in those Labor Ready gigs 'Work Today, Get Paid Today'), a cell phone isn't a luxury that should come after expenses for food, clothing, whatever shelter they can afford (cheap motels usually).

A cell phone is a life-line for the homeless; to connect them to loved ones, social services, job prospects, etc.

"How dare a homeless person have a cell phone!" ignores the reality of life on the streets.

[Saviolo]

25. If you look on Google Maps

There is literally a booth that says "Free Cell Phones" in front of the convenience store he was shot:

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1467912240730!6m8!1m7!1ssAbfy0vfW395O1KA4BqNsQ!2m2!1d30.46798946838117!2d-91.13979733695099!3f113.16303309066637!4f-2.5535413647683356!5f0.7820865974627469

[christx30]

10. So homeless person aggressively panhandles

at Sterling. Sterling flashes his gun as a warning, "get the hell away from me." Homeless person calls the cops either because he was scared (doubtful) or because he wanted to get revenge. Cops approach Sterling, attempt to arrest him for brandishing a firearm(?), and things escalate.
Am I wrong about anything?

[uponit7771]

11. They didn't know it was Sterling, the store owner already has said it wasn't Sterling and the cops

... just came after him.

The CNN story is not telling the whole account because the homeless man didn't describe Sterling according to the store owner

[AtheistCrusader]

15. The police are using the magic keywords 'matched the description of', which we all know

could be anything north of 'mammal' and they'd use it as justification for a Terry/Ohio stop.

Said search would reveal the firearm, and criminal background forbidding and making possession of said firearm a felony.

[uponit7771]

17. +1!!! "..could be anything north of 'mammal' ..." spot on

[KMOD]

24. Thank you for posting this.

I was looking for this information since yesterday.

[Warpy]

30. Thank you, it's always useful to know what went down before the footage started

Cops have got to get it through their thick skulls that not everyone who makes a 911 call is telling the truth.

They've got to learn how to ask questions and listen to the answers rather than just jump in, pile on, panic and shoot.

Alton Sterling didn't have to die. He didn't even have to be tased and wrestled to the ground. He needed to be asked what was going on.

[KMOD]

33. +1