Beyond the Department of Justice Announcement

We stand united and in full support of the family of Alton Sterling Family in their quest for justice. We are deeply disappointed, but not daunted, by the Department of Justice announcement that the officers responsible for Alton Sterling’s death would not face federal civil rights charges.

Moms of Black Boys (MO.B.B.) United for Social Change is a movement of over 170,000 concerned mothers who aim to make a difference in how Black boys and men are perceived and treated by law enforcement and in society. Just like all moms, we want our sons to have a chance to live, learn and leave their legacies.

We demand that extrajudicial killings of our sons stop. Police brutality against our sons must stop. Excessive force against our sons must stop. Abuse of power by those under oath to serve, protect and enforce the law must stop. The time of finding our sons guilty for breathing while black must end.

With great resolve, we shift our focus to the Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who recently announced he has assigned the investigation to the Louisiana State Police and assigned a prosecutor from the Louisiana Department of Justice to determine if there were possible state criminal violations. We will remain vigilant throughout this investigation and demand that it is a fair and impartial process.

Furthermore, given officers Salamoni and Lake II’s egregious actions detailed in the written and verbal reports from the Department of Justice, we implore the Chief of Police, Carl Dabadie Jr., to terminate these officers. Though not sufficient to reach a finding of civil rights violations, the Department of Justice did note some of these actions beyond the conduct expected of a police officer.

Moms of Black Boys United for Social Change remains committed to seeing justice prevail for Alton Sterling, his family and loved ones, the Baton Rouge community, and the nation. We will remain on the front lines to seek justice for black boys and men who have been victimized by law enforcement.