Mourners have been paying their respects at the funeral of Alton Sterling, ten days after the 37-year-old was shot dead by Louisiana police as officers pinned him to the ground.
A video showing the fatal shooting of the black man outside a convenience store went viral and was quickly followed by another involving Philando Castile in Minnesota.
Their deaths sparked worldwide protests that saw five police officers killed and seven injured by a lone gunman in Dallas.
Friends and family paused in front of Alton Sterling’s open coffin, which was adorned with musical notes and a smiling photo of the dead man.
Friends and family pay their respects in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Picture: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)Sterling was shot by a police officer in front of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge (Picture: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)The 37-year-old was selling CDs outside the store, as he had done for years, when he was killed by police responding to a call of a man threatening someone with a gun.
One mourner wore a T-shirt that said ‘No Justice, No Peace’ on the back of it. Another carried a board saying: ‘Black America I’m Sorry!!’.
The funeral was also attended by two of Barack Obama’s senior advisers.
A video of Alton Sterling’s death sparked worldwide protests (Picture: REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman)The funeral followed that of Philando Castile (Picture: REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman)(Picture: REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman)Sandra Sterling, aunt of Alton Sterling, cries during the funeral of her nephew (Picture: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)The open casket funeral was held 10 days after the fatal shooting (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)An inmate with the Louisiana Department of Corrections is consoled by friends and family (Picture TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)(Picture: REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman)
