Coroner: Judge has sealed Alton Sterling's autopsy report

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Coroner: Judge has sealed Alton Sterling's autopsy report

Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press

Updated 5:04 pm, Tuesday, August 2, 2016


BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered officials not to publicly release an autopsy report on the death of Alton Sterling, the 37-year-old black man shot and killed during a struggle with two white police officers last month, a Louisiana coroner said Tuesday.

East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Beau Clark told The Associated Press during a telephone interview that he also is prohibited from releasing a copy of the judge's order sealing his office's autopsy report. Clark said he signed the report on Monday.

Cellphone video of the deadly encounter circulated within hours of Sterling's shooting, which along with the shooting of a black man in Minnesota triggered nationwide protests.

Clark said this was the first time since he became the parish's coroner in 2012 that a court order has sealed one of his office's autopsy reports. He said he customarily consults law enforcement authorities before publicly releasing any autopsy reports for deaths under criminal investigation.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Coroner-Judge-has-sealed-Alton-Sterling-s-9059467.php

[Augiedog]

1. That will work out well. Great way to encourage trust between law enforcement and the

community at large. Hiding the facts, as in "hey, I know, let's do a coverup. Nobody will ever figure out what's happening that way". It's always worked well in the past.

[msanthrope]

6. Sigh....that means a federal grand jury is looking into it. It's a great move. Also,

the shitstains who shot him haven't given their statements yet. And now they won't have the benefit of a released autopsy report.

[Historic NY]

2. I'm thinking because the DOJ is now handling the investigation.....

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-louisiana-police-officer-kills-man-20160706-snap-story.html

[msanthrope]

10. More than that---I think it's because a federal grand jury is seated....thus the seal of the order.

[brush]

3. Like no one saw the video of the murderer cop and partner holding Sterling down . . .

and blasting him in the chest.

WE ALL SAW IT!

[msanthrope]

9. Yes---the seal, and the seal of the order means a federal grand jury. nt

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. He sealed the sealing order too?

This will probably end well.

[msanthrope]

8. Federal grand jury....the clue is that the order is sealed, too. nt

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. Ah! Thanks - did not know that was a thing.

[msanthrope]

12. I'm speculating, but generally, even the existence of a federal grand jury is supposed to

be under seal. I think what we have here is the DOJ seating, or has sat a federal grand jury and they are protecting evidence.

Remember......the officers have not given their statements. And with the autopsy under seal, they won't see it before they do.

[Feeling the Bern]

5. COVER. UP!!!

[msanthrope]

7. No---federal grand jury. nt

[msanthrope]

13. Good move by the DOJ--the officers in question haven't given their statements yet

and now, they won't have the benefit of a released autopsy report to attempt to bend the truth.

[uppityperson]

16. Thank you for the explanation. That makes a lot of sense.

Get their version before they have the report to bend it to.

[The Green Manalishi]

14. NOTHING

should ever be sealed, unless it relates to a minor.

[msanthrope]

15. The officers in question haven't given their statements yet. Now they have to, without the

benefit of seeing the autopsy report and bending their statements to it.

So yeah.....it should be sealed as the investigation progresses.