BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana congressman urged federal authorities to be more open about its investigation into the shooting death of Alton Sterling by Baton Rouge Police last year.

Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-House District 2) said he is frustrated by chatter among local officials that the Justice Department is expected to release details of its investigation early next week – though local authorities have not provided confirmation any investigation is complete and for most of this week had said there was little to no communication between local agencies and federal authorities.

“… persistent rumors are circulating in the Baton Rouge area… rumors have risen to the point that local schools and other organizations are expediting funds to prepare for a Tuesday announcement,” Rep. Richmond wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Sessions' team is overseeing the investigation – though sources said it will be federal authorities located in Baton Rouge that would reveal details of the federal inquiry.

“The Department of Justice’s failure to communicate with the community has created angst and nervousness, and I fear this carries the potential for increased tension between the community and law enforcement,” Rep. Richmond said.

WBRZ has been working to confirm details of a possible federal announcement next week, but sources have refused to be identified by name in reports, and chatter has been similar to rumors of an announcement expected earlier in 2017 and in late 2016. Rep. Richmond was the first official to publicly speak – and identify Tuesday as a date of an announcement.

A federal announcement is expected to determine if Sterling's civil rights were violated by his shooting death. The Justice Department should reveal whether or not the two officers will be indicted or not.

WBRZ recorded video Friday evening of obvious police activity in certain areas – barricades being stored around Baton Rouge Police Headquarters, the center of protests following Sterling's death.

WBRZ plans lengthy programming interruptions and extensive coverage when the Justice Department reveals its decision.

Click HERE to read Richmond's letter.

**************

Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltz