Family, Friends Remember Alton Sterling Who Was ‘Full of Joy'

A female cousin said Sterling posed no threat to police or anyone else

Family and friends of 37-year-old Alton Sterling remembered him as a jovial giant who was quick to laugh, NBC News reported. 

His aunt said Sterling was “full of joy.” A female cousin who asked not to be identified said Sterling suffered from asthma and was no threat to police or anyone else. 

According to court records and the Baton Rouge Advocate, Sterling was convicted in September 2000 after getting an underage girl pregnant and was sentenced to five years of hard labor. His sentence was suspended and he got five years’ probation. He also had a previous confrontation with police, although the circumstances were not clear. 

Sterling was shot and killed by police officers outside a Baton Rouge, Louisiana convenience store on Tuesday, where he sold CDs for years.

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