On Tuesday, the US state of Louisiana announced that it would not file criminal charges against the two white policemen involved in the deadly shooting of a black man, sparking massive protests two years ago.

The decision effectively ends legal proceedings against the officers after the US Justice Department ruled out federal charges 11 months ago.

In July 2016 Officer Blane Salamoni shot and killed 37-year-old Alton Sterling as Officer Howie Lake II helped wrestle him to the ground outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge.

Cellphone footage of the event prompted massive protests over police violence against black men.

Read more: US police say black shootings, protests make job riskier and more difficult

'Lawful arrest'

The state's attorney general, Jeff Landry, said: "Our investigation has concluded that Officers Lake and Salamoni attempted to make a lawful arrest," adding that the decision "was not taken lightly."

He said Sterling was armed and under the influence of illegal drugs and had resisted arrest.

"Throughout the encounter, the officers attempted several nonlethal techniques to gain compliance and control of Mr. Sterling's hands," he said.

"Their efforts to do so were a direct result of the information relayed to them by the Baton Rouge police department dispatcher — and that was that Mr. Sterling was armed with a firearm.

"Furthermore, the officers' concern that he was armed and dangerous was in fact subsequently verified and correct."

'Cold blood'

Family members said they were bitterly disappointed with the decision.

Quinyetta McMillon, the mother of Sterling's child Cameron, told reporters: "The way they killed him was in cold blood."

"They took a human away. They took a father away. They took somebody away that did not deserve to be away," she said.

Veda Washington-Abusaleh, Sterling's aunt, told local reporters: "He was murdered by two white racist police officers. He was murdered like an animal."

At a Dallas demonstration two days after Sterling's death, five law enforcement officers were fatally shot by an African-American ex-serviceman.

aw/bw (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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