Law enforcement officials in Baton Rouge say four suspects broke into a local pawn shop and stole guns with the intent to attack police officers, just days after the officer-involved shooting of Alton Sterling, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Police recovered six handguns from three of the suspects, as well as a BB gun pistol. Another two handguns are still on the street, and police are concerned that they remain with the fourth person, who remains at large.
Police said they still have not identified the fourth person. The plot was uncovered four days after Sterling was shot July 5 as two police officers pinned him to the ground. Sterling’s death ignited protests across the nation, leading to dozens of arrests in Baton Rouge. At a July 7 protest in Dallas, a man who told police he was targeting white people shot and killed five officers. State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson said the information developed since the burglary in Baton Rouge on Saturday revealed “an actual, credible threat” against police. Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie Jr. said police responding to the protests were dressed in riot gear and armed with automatic weapons because they were concerned some people in the crowd might be armed with the intent to harm police officers.