Story highlights Following the police shooting of a Louisiana man, a lawmaker called for an investigation

"I call on the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a full and transparent investigation into this incident," Richmond said

Washington (CNN) Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond called on the Justice Department Wednesday morning to investigate the death of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old man shot as he lay on the ground with two Baton Rouge police officers on top of him and the department later said it would launch a probe.

"This case warrants a very thorough and transparent investigation because we have to make sure that justice is served. And we have to give the community all of the facts and make sure that they understand that nothing is going to be swept under the rug," Richmond said Wednesday on CNN's "At this Hour" with John Berman and Kate Bolduan.

A video of the Tuesday incident, which was posted to social media, gained national attention and sparked protests in Louisiana, and Richmond hopes an investigation can solve some of the "unanswered questions" the incident raises.

"There are a number of unanswered questions surrounding Mr. Sterling's death. Including questions about the initial calls for police presence, the level of force used by officers, the verbal and physical altercation, and the response of the officers after he was shot," Richmond said Wednesday in a statement.

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