BATON ROUGE, La.– Politicians, a pastor, and a community leader discussed the aftermath of the Alton Sterling and police shootings Monday. Local 33’s Lucy Hayes reports they talked about solutions about how to move forward from where the community is now.
Many of the panelists said violence is not new. The cameras are new, and that these tragedies can be turned into real productive conversations
“ What I would hope is we’re going to figure out how to keep our city from burning,: said Gary Chambers, Publisher of the Rouge Collection.
He called it the elephant in the room, and something many wanted to keep quiet. How leaders were able to keep people mostly peaceful in the first wave of protests.
So where do we go from here? Rep. Ted James says you don’t have to pick a side. You can support both the officers and the Sterling family
“We cannot allow what happened with those officers to overshadow what happened with Mr. Sterling, and overshadow the issues that are facing young African American males not only in Baton Rouge but throughout the country,” said James.
And when tensions in the community started to heighten– Senator Regina Barrow said this is what she saw.
“And when I saw many of the young people, I talked with them, and I saw the level of hopelessness
in their eyes I said to myself we have failed them,” said Sen. Regina Barrow.
Leaders also questioned how Baton Rouge can come together
” This community has the potential to be together to celebrate together outside Saturday nights during football season that is the only time that we are unified as a community,” said James.
“If we are one Baton Rouge, we should not see the difference in so clearly in how we treat one crime scene versus another,” said Chambers.
And while some said the most challenges times are in the past others said not so fast..
“I think the worst is behind us if we get justice,’ said Chambers.
Representative Ted James says he is filing a bill that would require state police to investigate any deputy involved in a shooting at the East Baton Rouge parish sheriff’s office.
Officials said they also invited Chief Carl Dabadie and Colonel Edmonson to talk on the panel, but they were unable to attend.