BATON ROUGE — Alton Sterling's death, captured on cell phone video, inspired protests nationwide. It also inspired a sniper to target Dallas police, killing five officers.
“That made me sad,” said Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of one of Sterling’s children. “(The officers) were just doing their job.”
Sterling was doing his job late Monday night, hustling compact discs outside the Triple S Food Mart in a hardscrabble section of Baton Rouge. He’d been doing it for seven years, McMillon said.
“Everyone knew him as the CD man,” McMillon told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday. Though they were no longer together she remained close with Sterling, and he was an attentive parent to their 15-year-old son Cameron, who could be seen weeping uncontrollably during a nationally televised press conference earlier this week.
Sterling was fatally shot by Baton Rouge police responding to a 911 call that claimed the 37-year-old was “brandishing a gun,” according to CNN. The cell phone video sparked outrage from many as Sterling appearing to be restrained before he was shot.
McMillon’s attorney, Chris Stewart, said he’s not convinced Sterling had a firearm. McMillon said even if he did have a weapon he would never pull it on a police officer.
“He was always smiling,” she said. “Just a big old kid.”
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating.
Meanwhile, about 200 protesters gathered Friday night outside Baton Rouge police headquarters. Despite some tense moments and a few arrests, the gathering remained mostly peaceful.
That could change Saturday, when the militant New Black Panther Party is expected to join the protest. There were also widespread rumors that the FBI has warned Baton Rogue officials of potential violence directed at police this weekend.
So far, the protests have been mostly peaceful.
Return for updates. The complete interview with McMillon will be posted Saturday.
