Much is likely to be made of that past in the days ahead as various factions vilify or martyr him as one of the latest black men to be killed by police in America. Most of it isn't relevant to his death, but there is something to learn from it, which I'll get to later. But here's what really counts: the fateful decisions two Baton Rouge, La., police officers made early Tuesday morning when they took Sterling's life in the line of duty, officially joining an increasingly populous club of killer cops.