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Killing of Michael Brown

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Shooting of Michael Brown
Location of Ferguson, Missouri within St. Louis County and St. Louis County within Missouri
DateAugust 9, 2014 (2014-08-09)
Timec. 2:15 p.m.
LocationFerguson, Missouri, United States
Participants
  • Unidentified Ferguson PD police officer (shooter)
  • Michael Brown (victim)
  • Dorian Johnson, a friend of Brown who was with him when the two were initially confronted by the police officer
    • DeathsMichael Brown

    The shooting of Michael Brown occurred on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, United States. Brown was an unarmed, 18-year-old African-American male, killed after being shot multiple times by an unnamed Ferguson police officer.[1] The incident sparked protests and acts of vandalism in the St. Louis suburb, as well as national calls for an investigation.[2]

    Brown, who had recently graduated from high school, was days away from starting college[3] and had no criminal record.[4]

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened a civil rights investigation of the shooting on August 11, and the next day U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement expressing condolences to Brown's family, also committing federal resources to conduct an investigation.

    Shooting

    On Saturday, August 9, at around 2:00 p.m., Michael Brown, 18, and Dorian Johnson, 22, both African American men, were walking to Brown's grandmother's house.[2][5] A Ferguson police officer drove up to them and ordered them to move off the street and onto the sidewalk. An altercation ensued, and a gun within the police officer's vehicle was fired, after which Brown and Johnson began to flee. The officer left his vehicle and pursued them, then fired an unspecified number of shots, fatally wounding Brown. Brown died approximately 35 feet (11 m) from the police cruiser.[2] Johnson was not injured.

    St. Louis County Police account of events

    In a news conference on August 10, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar stated, "The genesis of this was a physical confrontation" during which Brown "physically assaulted the police officer."[1] According to Belmar, the officer attempted to exit his vehicle but was pushed back into the car by Brown, who then assaulted the officer inside the car. Brown then allegedly attempted to seize the officer's gun, which was fired at least once during the struggle. Belmar acknowledged that "more than a couple" of shots were fired in the course of the encounter.[1][6][7]

    Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson later stated that the officer who shot Brown was injured in the incident.[8] The Ferguson City Police Department has, as of August 13, 2014, declined to identify the officer involved in the shooting; he is currently on administrative leave.[8]

    According to the Ferguson Police Department, dashboard cameras are not used in Ferguson police cars.[6]

    Other eyewitness accounts of events

    Dorian Johnson's account

    According to Dorian Johnson, who was walking with Brown at the time, the police officer pulled up beside them and said, "Get the fuck on the sidewalk."[9][10][11][12][13] Johnson said the young men replied that they were "not but a minute away from [their] destination, and [they] would shortly be out of the street."

    In Johnson's account, the officer then drove a short distance forward, stopped, and backed up, almost hitting the two men. Johnson recalled, "We were so close, almost inches away, that when he tried to open his door aggressively, the door ricocheted both off me and Big Mike's body and closed back on the officer." The officer, still in his car, grabbed Brown through the door by his neck. Brown tried to pull away, but the officer continued to pull Brown toward him. The officer drew his weapon, and "he said, 'I'll shoot you' or 'I'm going to shoot'" and almost instantaneously fired his weapon, hitting Brown. According to Johnson, Brown "did not reach for the officer's weapon at all," contrary to the St. Louis County Police account.[14][15][16][17][18]

    Following the initial gunshot, Brown and Johnson ran away from the officer, who then shot Brown in the back. According to Johnson, Brown turned around with his hands in the air and said, "I don't have a gun. Stop shooting!" The officer then shot him several more times.[19][20]

    Tiffany Mitchell's account

    Witness Tiffany Mitchell, said she arrived in the area near the beginning of the altercation. She stated that she was watching as the first gun shot was fired while the police officer, but not Brown, was still in the vehicle, at which point she retrieved her cell phone in order to film the unfolding event.[21]

    As Mitchell described events, "After the shot, the kid just breaks away. The cop follows him, kept shooting, the kid's body jerked as if he was hit. After his body jerked he turns around, puts his hands up, and the cop continues to walk up on him and continues to shoot until he goes all the way down."[22]

    Piaget Crenshaw's account

    Another witness, Piaget Crenshaw, said it looked like the police officer and Brown were arm wrestling before the officer initially shot Brown. The officer then chased Brown for about 20 feet before shooting him again. According to Crensha, when Brown then raised his arms in compliance, the officer shot him two more times.[23][24][25]

    Investigations

    On August 10, Jon Belmar, chief of the St. Louis County Police Department, announced that their department would be in charge of the investigation, after receiving a request from Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson to investigate the shooting.[6][26] When the investigation is complete, the St. Louis County police will turn over the case to St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch, who will determine whether or not charges need to be filed.[27]

    The Ferguson Police department declined to name the officer involved in the shooting, citing concerns for his safety and refused to commit to a deadline for releasing a full autopsy report.[28] On August 11, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened a parallel civil rights investigation into the incident,[29] and Attorney General Eric Holder instructed the Justice Department staff to monitor the developments.[30]

    According to the spokeswoman for the FBI's St. Louis field office, the protests and riots played no role in the FBI's decision to investigate.[31]

    Protests

    On August 10, a day of vigils began peacefully, but some crowd members started to behave in an unruly manner after the candlelight vigil.[32] Local police stations assembled approximately 150 officers in riot gear.[33] The crowd then began looting businesses, vandalizing vehicles and confronting police who sought to block off access to several areas of the city.[32] At least 12 businesses were looted or vandalized, a gas station was set on fire, and police arrested over 30 people afterwards. Many windows were broken and several nearby businesses closed on Monday.[34] The people arrested face charges of assault, burglary and theft. Police used a variety of equipment, including riot gear and helicopters, to disperse the crowd by 2 a.m.[35] Two police officers suffered minor injuries during the events.[36]

    On August 11, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd at the shell of the QuikTrip[35] convenience store burnt out the night before. According to reports, gunshots were fired in Ferguson and five people were arrested.[16][37]

    On August 12, several hundred protestors gathered in Clayton, the county seat, seeking criminal prosecution of the officer involved in the shooting.[38] Protestors in Ferguson carried signs and many held their hands in the air while shouting "don't shoot". According to police, some protestors threw bottles at the officers, prompting the use of tear gas to disperse the crowd.[39] The following day, a heavily-armed SWAT team of around 70 officers arrived at a protest demanding that protesters disperse.[40] On the night of August 13, police used smoke bombs, flash grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Video footage of the events recorded by KARG Argus Radio shows Ferguson Police firing tear gas into a residential neighborhood and ordering the journalist to cease recording.[41][42][43]

    By August 14, about 60% of Ferguson was under the control of the protesters and rioters.[44]

    According to The Washington Post, the Ferguson Police Department "bears little demographic resemblance" to the mostly African-American community, which already harbored "suspicions of the law enforcement agency" preceding Brown's shooting. An annual report last year by the office of Missouri's attorney general concluded that Ferguson police were "twice as likely to arrest African Americans during traffic stops as they were whites."[3]

    Other reactions and aftermath

    See also: Timeline of the shooting of Michael Brown
    Al Sharpton
    Brown Family
    • A member of the Brown family released a statement that "the stealing and breaking in stores is not what Mike will want, it is very upsetting to me and my family. Our family didn’t ask for this but for Justice and Peace"[47] that followed the death of Brown. [48] They Brown family also announced that Benjamin Crump, one of the lawyers in the Trayvon Martin case, would represent the family.[49]
    Local religious leadership
    • Local pastors held a vigil on the morning of Sunday, August 10.[46] Another vigil was planned on the same day, at 8:00 p.m. in the area where Brown was killed.[46]
    Protestors and Law Enforcement Officials
    • During protests on August 11, some protesters allegedly threw rocks at police. The police responded by firing tear gas and bean bag rounds upon those protesting, including State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal.[50] Between August 12 and 13, police officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at lines of protesters and reporters. At least seven protesters were arrested on the evening of August 12 and 13, after police told protesters to "'go home' or face arrest."[51] CNN cameras filmed an officer addressing a group of protestors by saying "Bring it, you fucking animals, bring it."[52]
    US President Barack Obama
    • On August 12, President Obama offered his condolences to Brown's family and his community, and stated that the Department of Justice was investigating the situation along with local officials.[53] In response to safety concerns, the school district in nearby Jennings cancelled the first day of classes.[54][55]
    Hackers
    • Hacktivists claiming an association with Anonymous and operating under the codename "Operation Ferguson" organized cyberprotests by setting up a web site and a Twitter account.[56] The group promised that if any protesters were harassed or harmed, they would attack the city's servers and computers, taking them offline.[56] City officials said that e-mail systems were targeted and phones died, while the Internet crashed at the City Hall.[56][57] Members of Anonymous corresponding with Mother Jones said that they are working on confirming the identity of the police officer who shot Brown and will release his name as soon as they do.[58] On August 14, Anonymous posted on its Twitter feed what it claims is the name of the officer involved in the shooting.[59][60] However, police say the identity released by Anonymous is incorrect.[61]
    Federal involvement
    • FAA -- On August 12, citing an incident where a Ferguson Police helicopter was fired on from the ground, the FAA implemented a no-fly zone over Ferguson.[62][63]
    • Eric Holder monitoring situation
    • President Obama making statements.
    The Press
    • Reporters Wesley Lowery and Ryan Reilley, of The Washington Post and The Huffington Post, respectively, were arrested by police on August 13, while attempting to use a local McDonald's restaurant's Internet service to report on the incidents.[64] Lowery described "officers slammed me into a fountain soda machine because I was confused about which door they were asking me to walk out of."[65] Martin Baron, Executive Editor of The Washington Post, issued a statement saying "there was absolutely no justification for [Wesley Lowery's] arrest" and that the police's behavior "was wholly unwarranted and an assault on the freedom of the press to cover the news."[66] On the night of August 13–14, Antonio French, an alderman from the 21st ward of St. Louis, was also arrested by police.[67][68]
    • Al Jazeera journalists covering the protests in Ferguson on Wednesday night were also tear gassed and shot at with rubber bullets by police, after which police were filmed dismantling the crew's equipment.[69][70][71] Al Jazeera America issued a statement calling the incident an "egregious assault on the freedom of the press that was clearly intended to have a chilling effect on our ability to cover this important story."[72]

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b c Kesling, Ben (August 11, 2014). "Vigil for Missouri Teen Turns Violent". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
    2. ^ a b c Lind, Dara (August 12, 2014). "Outrage in Ferguson after police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown". Vox Media. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
    3. ^ a b Lowery, Wesley (February 25, 2011). "Even before Michael Brown's slaying in Ferguson, racial questions hung over police". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
    4. ^ Kirn, Jacob (August 13, 2014). "Michael Brown had no criminal record". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
    5. ^ Green, Treye (August 13, 2014). "Dorian Johnson, Mike Brown Shooting Witness, Meeting With FBI And County Prosecutor". Retrieved August 13, 2014.
    6. ^ a b c McLaughlin, Eliott C. (August 11, 2014). "Fatal police shooting in Missouri sparks protests". CNN. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
    7. ^ Politi, Daniel (August 11, 2014). "Michael Brown: Unarmed black teenager shot in Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb". Slate. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
    8. ^ a b Shoichet, Catherine E. and Smith, Tristan (August 13, 2014). "Citing death threats, police won't identify officer in Michael Brown shooting". CNN. Retrieved August 13, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    9. ^ Johnson, Dorian (September 8, 2014). "Michael Brown's Friend [Dorian Johnson] Describes Shooting" (Video interview). CNN. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
    10. ^ Blitzer, Wolf (August 11, 2014). "Violence Flares Again in Ferguson". Violence Flares Again in Ferguson. CNN. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
    11. ^ Trymaine Lee (August 12, 2014). "Eyewitness to Michael Brown shooting recounts his friend's death". MSNBC. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
    12. ^ Braden Goyette (August 12, 2014). "Lawyer: Police Haven't Talked To Michael Brown Shooting Witness". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
    13. ^ Farrah, Fazal (August 13, 2014). "Witness to Michael Brown shooting comes forward". USA Today. Section 1, Paragraph 3. Retrieved August 13, 2014. "The officer is approaching us and as he pulled up on the side of us, he didn't say freeze, halt or anything like we were committing a crime. He said, 'Get the F on the sidewalk
    14. ^ Lussenhop, Jessica (October 12 2014). "Why Police Haven't Interviewed Michael Brown Shooting Witness Dorian Johnson". Riverfront Times. St Louis. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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    20. ^ Von Drehle, David (August 12, 2014). "The Long, Tangled Roots of the Michael Brown Shooting". Time. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
    21. ^ Smith, Robin. "Another witness to Brown shooting comes forward; video shows graphic scene". KMOV. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
    22. ^ Smith, Robin. "Another witness to Brown shooting comes forward; video shows graphic scene". KMOV. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
    23. ^ Raab, Lauren (August 13, 2014). "Unrest in Ferguson, Mo., after police kill man: What you need to know". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
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    34. ^ Barker, Tim (August 11, 2014). "Ferguson-area businesses cope with aftermath of weekend riot". Stltoday.com. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
    35. ^ a b "West Florissant explodes in protest of police shooting, more than 30 arrests". Stlamerican.com. August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
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    37. ^ Scher, Alan (August 28, 2010). "Police, protesters again clash outside St. Louis". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
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    46. ^ a b c Bruce, Betsey (August 10, 2014). "Tensions still running high during Ferguson vigil for Michael Brown". St. Louis, MO: KTVI. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
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    48. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11026856/Family-of-black-Missouri-teenager-shot-by-US-police-urge-calm.html
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    50. ^ "State Senator To Ferguson Police: 'Will I Get Tear-Gassed Again?'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    51. ^ Speri, Alice (August 13, 2014). "Tension Is Mounting in Ferguson as More People Are Shot". Vice News. Vice News. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
    52. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/12/michael-brown-protests_n_5672163.html
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    57. ^ Hunn, David (August 13, 2014). "How computer hackers changed the Ferguson protests". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
    58. ^ Harkinson, Josh (August 13, 2014). "Anonymous' "Op Ferguson" Says It Will ID the Officer Who Killed Michael Brown". Mother Jones. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
    59. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/15/us/anonymous-release-name-of-ferguson-police-officer.html?_r=0
    60. ^ "Anonymous Releases Alleged Name Of Officer They Say Fatally Shot Michael Brown « CBS St. Louis". Stlouis.cbslocal.com. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
    61. ^ http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/14/technology/security/ferguson-anonymous
    62. ^ Nicks, Denver (August 12, 2013). "FAA Implements No-Fly Zone in Ferguson Amid Unrest Over Killed Teen". Retrieved August 14, 2013.
    63. ^ "FAA: NOTAM NUMBER: FDC 4/2599". faa.gov. August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
    64. ^ Byers, Dylan; Gold, Hadas (August 13, 2014). "Reporters arrested in Ferguson". Politico. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
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    66. ^ Lowery, Wesley (August 13, 2014). "In Ferguson, Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery gives account of his arrest". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
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    71. ^ http://www.mintpressnews.com/ferguson-police-targeting-media-arrests-tear-gas-blackouts/195327/
    72. ^ "Obama: 'Now's the time for healing' in Ferguson, Missouri". CNN. Retrieved 08/14/2014. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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