Tensions between police officers and the community were already escalating in Baton Rouge before three cops were shot and killed on Sunday.
Some of the most volatile confrontations in the country have occurred there since the July 5 officer-involved shooting and killing of Alton Sterling. The almost nightly protests have included tense interactions between police and protesters and some 200 arrests.
Sunday morning, less than two weeks after Sterling’s death, three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers were killed and three others wounded in a shooting near police headquarters. One suspect in the shooting was killed and law enforcement officials believe two others might still be at large, said Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. The city was on high alert, officials said.
The shooting comes amid rising tensions in the city, and across the nation between, the black community and police.
Here in Atlanta, this weekend marked a period of civic calm following several days of peaceful protests, the largest on July 8 drawing some 10,000 Atlantans angered by the deaths of Sterling and Philando Castile in Minneapolis.
Mayor Kasim Reed has already met with leaders of Black Lives Matter and had set up another meeting for Monday morning. That meeting is still on, a Reed spokesperson said Sunday afternoon.
Also in Atlanta, a former Atlanta police officer turned himself in Saturday after being charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black man, authorities said. James Burns, who is white, turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail, according to online records from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
On Sunday, Atlanta police showed their solidarity with their Baton Rouge brethren in a Tweet that said, “How much longer will we have to wear this band? Our deepest condolences to @BRPD Devastating news.”
In a statement, the Atlanta Police Department said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the city of Baton Rouge and all affected by this tragedy. The Atlanta Police Department will remain vigilant and continue to make securing our city and its citizens top priority.”
In Baton Rouge, there has been a steady drumbeat of ominous news. Police uncovered a plot to harm police officers following a robbery June 9 sat a pawn shop, where eight handguns and a BB rifle were stolen. Three suspects were arrested.
Meanwhile, Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden has faced withering criticism for being out of town during much of the unrest. Holden, who is black, spent several days in Washington, D.C., lobbying for transportation funding immediately after the shooting while protesters clashed with cops.
Protests last weekend in Baton Rouge unfolded amid a warning from the FBI’s New Orleans Field Division that “multiple groups are calling for or planning riots and/or violence against law enforcement” in Baton Rouge.
There were dual protests on July 8 in Baton Rouge, a Friday. Outside the Triple S convenience store, where the 37-year-old Sterling was fatally shot by police, a sense of community prevailed. Restaurants delivered pizza and sandwiches for free. Hundreds of residents milled about, angry but restrained.
Across town, however, the scene was much more chaotic. Police in riot gear faced off with protesters — most of them in their teens and 20s — who taunted them. Eventually, officers retreated to police headquarters, watching in silence as the protesters celebrated. There were 31 arrests recorded that night, police said.
“We do not want to appear to have a military-style response,” Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Debadie Jr. told reporters earlier that day.
That would change as the weekend wore on. On Saturday, police took a much more aggressive stance. They restricted the movements of protesters and access the protest area. They were dressed in riot gear.
Sterling’s death, say longtime residents, appears to be a tipping point.
“Everyone’s tired of this [expletive],” said Tremayne King, 36, an Iraq War veteran and native of Baton Rouge. “Where’s the rules of engagement for police?”
Tammara Crawford, an administrator at a local Bible college, said she felt compelled to stand with the protesters after her 10-year-old daughter, discussing Sterling’s death, asked whether Sterling would still be alive were he white.
She worried about the younger protesters.
“They’re restless. They’re angry. They’re irritated,” said Crawford, 33. “They’ve had enough. We all have.”
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