
Yet another police-related killing caught on tape — the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge on July 5 — has spurred a strong reaction from celebrities speaking out against police brutality and its impact on black Americans. The comments from the likes of gun legislation advocate/comedian Amy Schumer and comedian Kumail Nanjiani offer their support and love for the people of Baton Rouge and the Black Lives Matter movement. Meanwhile, a number of artists have called for action and condemnation for what appears to be yet another deadly show of force by a police department on a black man.
Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black)
#AltonSterling. Say his name.
— Samira Wiley (@samirawiley) July 6, 2016
Amy Schumer
Love to Louisiana #AltonSterling
— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) July 6, 2016
Zendaya
How many more times must this happen for us to matter? How many more must we lose?
BLACK. LIVES. MATTER. #AltonSterling— Zendaya (@Zendaya) July 6, 2016
Nick Jonas
This is so disturbing and wrong. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of #AltonSterling
— Nick Jonas (@nickjonas) July 6, 2016
Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley)
#AltonSterling #BlackLivesMattter
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) July 6, 2016
Meek Mill
Bridget Kelly
That #AltonSterling video just brought me to tears. I can’t even wrap my head around it.
— Bridget Kelly (@IamBridgetKelly) July 6, 2016
Chuck D
Selling…………..cds? W…….T…..F????? This cop was deranged and KNEW he was gonna DO this one day-it was a matter of when AND who
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) July 6, 2016
IF anything THIS proves why the term #BlackLivesMatter is the CRYOUT to the rest of the Planet Earth from this United States Of America.
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) July 6, 2016
Best Coast
I just can’t — #AltonSterling #BlackLivesMatter
— Best Coast (@BestCoast) July 6, 2016
Bruno Mars
“They Murdered that man. We just saw it.” Thank you @Rosenbergradio https://t.co/PyDmLY52ld
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) July 6, 2016
Hayley Williams (Paramore)
Praying for justice & peace in #AltonSterling case. Leadership roles(i.e. police) MUST require real accountability. The pattern MUST change–
— hayley from Paramore (@yelyahwilliams) July 6, 2016
Xzibit
Angry tweets, marching, protesting,none of that shit works. We have to speak economically. We generate BILLIONS, and retain none of it.
— XZIBIT (@xzibit) July 6, 2016
MC Hammer
This barbaric behavior under the guise of law is despicable, inhumane and heartbreaking. Justice for #AltonSterling https://t.co/PgG76xSk5t
— MC HAMMER (@MCHammer) July 6, 2016
Christina Perri
heartbroken for #altonsterling and his family —
— christina perri (@christinaperri) July 6, 2016
Talib Kweli
RT @syndicalisms: #AltonSterling is the 558th person in the US murdered extrajudicially by cops in 2016 alone. https://t.co/K5aH5YNYbq
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) July 6, 2016
DL Hughley
You ever notice how video used against suspects tells the whole story, but used against cops it doesn’t #AltonSterling #TeamDl
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) July 6, 2016
Justin Timberlake
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) July 6, 2016
Amen. https://t.co/5CIMR243EJ
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) July 6, 2016
HAS. TO. STOP. Devastating. https://t.co/C9Q0YePRMr
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) July 6, 2016
Janelle Monae
Katy Perry
You can’t just go on with your day, you must watch this & we must face this continual outrageousness #ALTONSTERLING https://t.co/NqW3aVSZ1j
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 6, 2016
?According to CNN, the president of the Baton Rouge NAACP branch called for the city’s police chief and chief executive to resign in light of Tuesday’s shooting death of Sterling, a black man who was seen in a video being pinned to the ground and shot after he allegedly got into an altercation with the officers. Police said they arrived on the scene early Tuesday, responding to an anonymous 911 call about a man threatening him with a gun; a preliminary autopsy found that Sterling died as a result of “multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and back.”
Sterling was known in the area as the “CD man,” someone his attorney said was a beloved, gentle member of the community known for selling songs and DVDs outside of the store where he was shot. The store’s owner told WAFB TV that the first officer used a stun gun on Sterling and a second one tackled him, with Sterling fighting to get the second officer off him as the first one shot four to six times. The owner said he didn’t see a gun in Sterling’s hand when one of the officers yelled “he’s got a gun,” but that he did see officers remove a weapon from Sterling’s pocked after the shooting.
Following protest over the killing on Tuesday, more demonstrations are expected on Wednesday (July 6). The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave and have not yet been identified publicly. The Associated Press reported that that officials and family members have called for a federal investigation into Sterling’s death, saying they don’t trust local law enforcement to handle the probe. “It’s a horrible thing, it’s a horrible thing to happened to him… he didn’t deserve that,” said Sterling’s aunt, Sandra Sterling.
Some other tweets under the #AltonSterling hashtag:
If you don’t take issue with this then you are part of the problem #AltonSterling pic.twitter.com/wzwNi2UuOk
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) July 6, 2016
Bless the courageous people who point cameras at violence. #AltonSterling
— Jesse Thorn (@JesseThorn) July 6, 2016