Alton Sterling, an unarmed Black man, was killed by a Baton Rouge police officer in July 2016. The officer was responding to a call about a man with a gun in the area. Sterling's family has been fighting for justice over the last five years, filing a civil suit related to the fatal shooting. While it was reported previously this year that a $5 million settlement had been pushed aside, a new report from the New York Times confirms that Sterling's family has settled for $4.5 million from the city of Baton Rouge.
The settlement was reportedly approved in May 2021. An attorney representing Sterling's family stated that the settlement "will allow the city to heal and provide a pathway for Mr. Sterling’s children to be provided for financially."
Sterling's death prompted heated protests in the streets of Baton Rouge and surrounding cities five years ago. Unfortunately, we have not seen much change since his fatal shooting. Last year, the Black Lives Matter movement sparked worldwide protests following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, who were also killed by police officers in the United States.
Read more about the settlement that was reached between Alton Sterling's family and Baton Rouge at the link below.