The Michael Brown photo shoot took place on August 9 , 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, northern suburb St. Louis . Brown, an 18-year-old African American, is a suspect in a "robust-arm" robbery of a department store. Brown was shot dead by Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white police officer in an encounter not far from a convenience store, minutes after Officer Wilson received a radio warning that included the description of a suspect. Brown was accompanied by his friend, 22-year-old Dorian Johnson. Wilson said that the fight broke out when Brown attacked Wilson in a police vehicle to control Wilson's gun until it was shot. Brown and Johnson then fled, with Wilson chasing Brown. Wilson states that Brown stopped and accused him after a brief pursuit. Throughout the fight, Wilson fired a total of twelve bullets, including twice during the struggle in the car; the last is probably a fatal shot. Brown was hit 6 times in total from the front.
This incident sparked anxiety at Ferguson. Although the next FBI investigation found that there was no evidence that Brown raised his hand to surrender or say "do not shoot" before he was shot, protesters believed he had done it, and used the slogan, "Raise your hand, do not shoot in protest. and violence, continued for more than a week at Ferguson, the police set a curfew.The response of the local police in handling the protest was strongly criticized by the media and politicians.There were concerns about insensitivity, tactics and military responses.Reuters Governor Jay Nixon ordered police to give most of their authority to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The grand jury was summoned and given extensive evidence from Robert McCulloch, District Attorney. Louis. On November 24 , 2014, McCulloch announces the jury St. Louis County has decided not to indict Wilson. On March 4 , 2015, the US Department of Justice reports the conclusions of its own investigation and releases Wilson from civil rights violations in the shootings. Found forensic evidence supporting the officer's report, that the witness who corroborated the officer's report was credible, and that the witness who had incriminated him was not credible, with some admitting that they did not directly see the incident. The US Justice Department concluded Wilson shot Brown in self-defense.
Video Shooting of Michael Brown
Background
Michael Brown Jr. (May 20, 1996 - August 9, 2014) graduated from Normandy High School at St. Louis County eight days before his death, completing an alternative education program. At the time of his death, he was 18 years old, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall, and weighed 292 Â £ (132 kg). He is an amateur musician who posted his songs on the popular Soundcloud music sharing website under the grip of "Big'Mike". He's two days from starting a training program for heating and air conditioning repair at Vatterott College's engineering school.
Darren Dean Wilson (born May 14 , 1986, in Fort Worth, Texas) is 6 ft deep (1.93 m) tall and weighs about 210 pounds (95 kg). He is armed with SIG Sauer P229. His parents divorced in 1989. Wilson attended St. Charles West High School; in November 2002, when he was a student there, his mother died of natural causes. Wilson graduated from high school in 2004.
Wilson's first police job was as a newcomer to Jennings, Missouri, where he began work in 2009. Regarding this work, Wilson told The New Yorker in 2015, "I never went in an area where there is a lot of poverty. "The police force at Jennings was closed by the city council in March 2011. In October 2011, Wilson began working for the Ferguson Police Department. In February 2013, Wilson won praise from the Ferguson Police Department after he arrested a suspect who was later charged with possessing marijuana with a view to distributing and refusing the arrest.
Morning
The publicly released surveillance video in the 2017 Stranger Fruit documentary shows Michael Brown walking to Ferguson Market and Liquor at 1:13 am, twelve hours before he enters the store for the last time. The footage shows Brown handing a young clerk a chocolate packet, believed by filmmakers to be marijuana, and then receiving a pack of cigars from the store. After the video was rediscovered and published in 2017, some, including the Brown family, said they believed Brown had left the package there to be saved and then returned to retrieve it. The store owner denied this through a lawyer who dismissed claims that the store traded it with "cigarillos for pots". The lawyer claimed "[t] the reason he [Brown] gave it back was he walked out the door with unpaid merchandise and they [the staff] wanted it back." The store lawyer said the video had been in family hands and Brown's law enforcement since the preliminary investigation, saying it had been edited to remove the part where the store clerk returned Brown's package to him. After this, on March 13, 2017, unedited footage from the store was released by St. John's district attorney. Louis to try to solve the question.
Maps Shooting of Michael Brown
Incident
At 11:47 am. , Wilson responded to a call about a baby with respiratory problems and went to Glenark Drive, east of Canfield Drive. About three minutes later and a few blocks away, Brown was recorded on camera stealing a box of Swisher cigars and forcibly pushing Ferguson Market officers. Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, leave the market around 11:54 pm At 11:53 pm, a police officer reports "theft is underway" at Ferguson Market and describes the suspect as a black man wearing a T - white shirt running towards QuikTrip. The suspect is reported to have stolen a box of Swisher cigarettes. At 11:57 pm, the delivery depicts the suspect wearing a red hat. Louis Cardinals, white jerseys, yellow socks, and khaki shorts, and that he was accompanied by another man. At 12:00 p.m. , Wilson reported he was back in service and radio units 25 and 22 to ask if they needed his help in finding the suspect. Seven seconds later, an unnamed official said that the suspects had disappeared. Wilson asked for help at 12:02, saying "[Unit] 21. Place me in Canfield with two and send me another car."
Initially, reports of what happened next vary widely among sources and witnesses, especially as to whether Brown will come to Wilson when the shot is completely fired. At noon on August 9th, Wilson went to Brown and Johnson as they walked down the center of Canfield Drive and ordered them to move off the street. Wilson continued to run past the two men, but then retreated and stopped near them. The fight took place between Brown and Wilson after the first one reached through the police SUV window, Chevrolet Tahoe. Wilson's rifle was fired twice during a fight from inside the vehicle, with one bullet penetrating Brown's right hand. Brown and Johnson escape and Johnson is hiding behind the car. Wilson got out of the car and chased Brown. At some point, Wilson fired his weapon again, facing Brown, and hit him with at least 6 shots. Brown is unarmed and dies in the street. Less than 90 seconds passed from when Wilson met Brown at the time of Brown's death.
The unidentified officer arrived at the scene and, 73 seconds after Wilson's call, asked where the second suspect was. Thirty-one seconds later, a supervisor was asked by Unit 25. At 12:07 p.m. , an officer in a place broadcast by radio to send more units. Also at 12:07, St. Louis The county police were notified and the county officials started to arrive around 12:15 pm The St. Louis Louis County detective is notified on 12:43 pm and arrives around 1:30 pm , with a forensic investigator arriving around 2:30 pm
The police sent a dozen units to the scene with 1:00 pm with a dozen others, including two dog units, with 02:00 The shot was recorded in the Ferguson police log on 2 : 11 pm , and with ambulance delivery again at 2:14 pm , which caused a response of 20 units from eight different city powers in the next 20 minutes. As the situation worsened, police commanders called for investigators to seek shelter and detectives who were assisted in the control of the masses. At 2:45 , four dog units arrive at the scene, and the SWAT team arrives at 3:20 pm The medical examiner starts his examination around 3:30 pm and concluded about half an hour later, with the body cleared for being taken to the morgue. At 4:37 pm , Brown's body was signed by the workers at the morgue.
Investigation
Police
Brown was shot dead by Wilson around 12:00 noon. The Ferguson Police Department was on the scene within minutes, like a crowd of people, some expressing hostility towards the police. Paramedics cover the body with sheets. About 20 minutes after the shootings, Chief Constable Ferguson submitted a murder investigation to the St. Louis Police Department. Louis (SLCPD). The arrival of the SLCPD detective takes about 70 minutes , as they are busy with another 37 minute scene. Arriving at 1:30, they installed a privacy screen around the body. Their investigation is slowed due to security concerns related to gunfire in the area and some unfriendly crowd members coming into the scene. An investigator from the Health Inspection office. Louis County arrived at 2:30 pm. Brown's body was removed at 4:00 am. Local residents criticized the authorities for leaving Brown's body on the road for 4 hours in an act that is considered condescending and disrespectful.
Department of Justice
On August 11 , 2014, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened a civil rights investigation into the incident. A spokesman for the FBI field office in St. Louis. Louis said the decision to open the investigation was not motivated by protests and riots. Forty FBI agents went door to door looking for potential witnesses who might have information about the shootings. In addition, lawyers from the Civil Rights Division and from the US Attorney's Office participated in the investigation.
On March 4 , 2015, a federal investigation cleared Wilson of a civil rights violation in the shootings. The inquiry concluded there was no evidence the prosecution could use to dispute Wilson's belief that he was afraid of his safety, that a witness contrary to Wilson was unreliable, that reliable forensic evidence and witnesses corroborated Wilson's opinion, and the facts did not support. filing criminal charges against Wilson. Reliable witnesses do not support accounts that Brown up surrender. He was not shot in the back. Forensic evidence indicates he is moving towards Wilson. Many witnesses were found to have provided reports of actions they could not see from their point of view, or to tell someone else's account.
Grand jury hearing
The jury consists of members who have been imprisoned in May 2014 for a regularly scheduled period, to hear all cases filed by the prosecutor's office. There were three blacks (one male and two women) and nine white men (six men and three women), an ethnic detail that roughly reflects the racial makeup of St. Louis County, about 30% black, and 70% white. On August 20 , 2014, grand jury starts hearing evidence in case of the State of Missouri v. Darren Wilson , to decide whether a crime has been committed and if there is any possible cause for believing Wilson is committed.
There is an intense interest focused on the grand jury. Robert P. McCulloch, the elected prosecutor for St. Louis County was responsible for prosecution but did not participate in the direct handling of the grand jury trial. It is handled by two McCulloch Office Prosecutor Assistants: Kathi Alizadeh and Sheila Whirley. McCulloch announced an unusual process: the grand jury will hear all the evidence, the process will be transcribed, and the material will be announced if the grand jury does not indict.
The jury took 25 days, over a span of three months, to hear over 5,000 pages of testimony from 60 witnesses and then deliberate on whether to sue Wilson or not. Most grand juries complete their work in a matter of days. Grand jury is not exiled during the process.
On the night of 24 November, prosecutor McCulloch reported in a 20-minute press conference that the grand jury had reached a decision in the case and would not sue Wilson.
After the announcement, McCulloch released thousands of pages of grand jury documents, with material published on the Internet for public reading. The documents include transcripts of the process, expert statements, and testimony of several witnesses. On 8 December , more witness interviews and more than 50 short audio recordings between police officers and police officers who answered were released. On December 13 , the third release includes a transcript of a witness interview, including one with Dorian Johnson. Johnson's two-hour interview video by the FBI and the local police are withheld.
Robert P. McCulloch is the main focus of many critics throughout the process and also afterwards. Raul Reyes's lawyer characterized McCulloch as impartially, as his father was a police officer who was killed in an incident with a black suspect and other family members presented with St. Louis Police Department. The petition calling for McCulloch to resign received 70,000 signatures. Governor Jay Nixon refused to remove McCulloch and said it would potentially jeopardize prosecution. McCulloch dismissed the biased claims, and later said he regretted not speaking openly about his background at the time.
Legal analysts raised concerns over orthodox McCulloch's approach, saying the process could affect the grand jury to decide against the charges and that they were given too much material to judge. Analysts highlighted the significant differences between the grand jury that occurred in Missouri and how the Wilson case was handled.
Evidence
Shooting scene
The evidence presented to the grand jury shows an extended shooting scene of approximately 184 feet (56 m) along Canfield Drive, near where he cuts Copper Creek Court. This two-lane road moves west-to-east and has sidewalks and sidewalks on both sides. Immediately before the incident, Brown walked eastward at Canfield and Wilson drove westward. Evidence at the scene is generally clustered around the Wilson SUV on the west side of the scene and near Brown's body, which is in the eastern part of the area.
The 30-foot (9.1 m) western area includes the Wilson police vehicle, which is slightly tilted toward the right pavement with its left-back corner at the center line. The proof includes two bracelets, a baseball cap, and a two-caliber.40 caliber. One of these casing is found at the western end of the scene and the other is located near the driver's side behind a police vehicle. There are two groups of red stains near the driver's side of the vehicle and the left slippers are also located in the vicinity. The right slipper is approximately 44 feet (13 m) to the east of the west.
The eastern region, which is approximately 124 feet (38 m) east of the western region, is about 29 feet (8.8 m) wide. The Brown body is located along the central line of the road with its head oriented towards the west. The distance from the driver's door SUV to Brown's head is about 153 feet (47 m). Two red stain groups are located at the easternmost tip of the scene, with the furthest below 22 feet (6.7 m) from Brown's legs.
One projectile is clearly found near the body. There are ten 40-caliber cases scattered on the south side of the road near Brown's body. Distribution of the casing, combined with most of the chassis located to the east of the body, is consistent with officers who move backwards when firing. Blood rains about 25 feet behind Brown's body suggested he move towards Wilson when he was killed.
DNA
Brown's DNA is found in the gun. Her DNA was also found on the left thigh of Wilson's pants and on the driver's door grip inside the Wilson police SUV, the result of Brown's blood spill which tarnished Wilson's pants and the door handle. Wilson's DNA is found on Brown's left palm but is not found under Brown's fingernails or in his right hand.
Dr. Michael Graham, medical examiner St. Louis, said that blood was found in Wilson's pistol and in the car, and a network of Brown was found on the outside of the driver's side of Wilson's vehicle; this evidence is consistent with the struggle at that location. According to Judy Melinek, a San Francisco pathologist who commented on the case as an expert, formal autopsy, which said Brown's hand had alien material consistent with the release of weapons on it, supported Wilson's testimony that Brown grabbed the weapon, or showed the Pistol a few inches away from Brown's hand when he left.
According to the detective who tested the gun, he had to decide whether to do DNA or dust tests for fingerprints, as only one test could be done without affecting the others. He found the weapons stored in unopened envelopes, contrary to the protocol of handling customary evidence. Documents released after the grand jury process showed Wilson washing the blood out of his hand and checking his own weapon into a bag of evidence, both actions described by the media as unusual procedures for such cases.
Autopsy
Three autopsies were performed on Brown's body, with Brown's third note having been shot at least six times, including twice in the head. He did not receive a shot on his back.
Regional autopsy reports describe the entry of firearms and injuries out to Brown's right arm coming from the front (stomach, palms facing forward) and back (back, palms facing backwards).
Territory
The autopsy report of a local medical examiner released to the prosecutor said Brown was shot in the front of his body. When Mary Case, St. Louis County medical examiner, asked to provide details, he declined to comment further, citing an ongoing investigation into Brown's death. Authorized regional autopsy later leaked to St. Louis Post-Delivery .
The investigative narrative report from the medical examiner's office of St. Louis agreed with Wilson's testimony. He noted Brown had suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the head, torso, and right arm, as well as a bullet wound on the inside of his right hand near his thumb and palms; it also noted Brown's body had abrasions on the right side of his face and on the back of his left hand.
An autopsy noted the absence of stippling, a burning powder around the wound that indicated the shot was fired at a relatively short distance. Dr. Michael Graham, who is St. Louis medical examiner, noting gunshot wounds in one inch of the body does not always cause swelling. Microscopic tissue examination taken from a thumb injury detects the presence of a foreign material consistent with the material removed from the gun while firing. The shot wound at the top of Brown's head is consistent with Brown who falls forward or is in an attacking position; the shot was immediately fatal.
Toxicology tests performed by St. Louis The university laboratory reveals the existence of THC, an active ingredient in cannabis, in Brown's blood and urine. The presence of THC suggests Brown has been using marijuana within hours of his death, but it can not be determined whether Brown has an interruption at the time of his death.
Mandiri
At the request of the Brown family, at August 17 , an early autopsy was performed by Dr. Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner for New York City (1978-1979). The autopsy was limited because the autopsy of the area had previously been washed, embalmed, and taken away from the body.
According to Baden's report, Brown was shot six times in the future: four bullets entered his right arm, one enters his right eye to the downward trajectory, and one enters the top of his skull. All bullets are fired from a distance of at least one foot. One shot smashed his right eye, crossed his face, then out of his jaw and back into the collarbone. The shot that enters the top of his skull causes a fatal injury. Brown could survive the first bullet wound, but the bullet that enters the top of his head results in a fatal injury.
Baden has no access to the victim's clothes, and has not seen an x-ray showing where the bullet is inside the body. He can not determine whether gunpowder is in the clothes. Baden concluded there was too little information to reconstruct a forensic filming. At least two commentators noted the results of both autopsies contrary to some aspects of some eyewitness accounts, which reported Wilson shot Brown in the back and that Wilson shot Brown while holding Brown's neck. In further analysis, Baden reclassified one of Brown's chest wounds as an incoming wound.
Dr. Baden is assisted by Shawn Parcells, who has no degree or other credentials in medicine or pathology. Dr Thomas Young, a former Jackson County Medical Observer, says that Parcells provides forensic pathology opinions when he is not eligible to do so. Mary Case, who performed the initial autopsy, said Parcells involvement could cause problems with a second autopsy. Parcells says all he does is help Dr. Baden.
Federal
The Attorney General Holder ordered Brown's third body of autopsy. His findings fit well with two other autopsies, but detailed findings were initially watched from the public due to ongoing investigations. The federal autopsy report is among a group of documents released by St. Louis The DA's Office on December 8 , two weeks after the grand jury chose not to indict Wilson.
Audio recording of gunshot
On 27 August , CNN released an audio recording that supposedly contains a shooting sound. The recording was made by an anonymous third party who happened to record a video text message at the time of the incident. Glide, the video messaging service, confirmed that audio was recorded on their site at 12:02 pm on the day of filming. The twelve-second recording contains a series of shots, a brief pause, and then a second set of pictures.
Forensic audio expert Paul Ginsberg said he heard six shots, pause, and then four additional shots. Ginsberg said, "I'm very concerned about that pause... because it's not just the number of shots, that's how they shoot, and it has great relevance as to how this case can finally end." CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes notes most of the shooting records say there was a previous shot in an incident near an unheard vehicle on the tape. The tape was also analyzed by SST, Inc., a company specializing in shooting track technology. The analysis found ten shots and seven shots in seven seconds, with a pause three seconds after the sixth shot. The company's analysis also said all ten shots were fired within a 3 foot (0.91 m) radius, indicating the gunman was not moving.
Handling
The Washington Post says there is unorthodox forensic practice shown in testimony published by Wilson and other law enforcement officials. It says Wilson washes the blood out of his hands without photographing them first. He also said Wilson surrendered his weapon for his own evidence, and that Wilson's initial interview was conducted with other personnel present and not being recorded. It describes Wilson's wound after the shooting when photographed by a local detective at the Sisterhood Police building, not at Ferguson's Police headquarters. A researcher with St. Louis The County Medical Examiner's Office testified that he had decided not to take measurements at the scene and not to photograph the scene, but to rely on photos taken by St. Louis District Police Department.
Witness account
Some witnesses saw some or all of the events and had given interviews to the media, testified to the jury, and were interviewed by the US Department of Justice. Witness accounts contradict at various points. David A. Klinger, a criminologist at the University of Missouri- Louis , said eyewitness testimony is often different from witness to witness, a phenomenon commonly known as the Rashomon effect.
An Associated Press review of the grand jury found many problems in the testimony of witnesses, including "inconsistent, false, or false" statements. Several witnesses acknowledged changing their testimony to match the released evidence, or other witness statements. Prosecutor Robert McCulloch said, "I think it's important to present anyone and everyone, and some who, yes, obviously do not tell the truth, there's no question about that."
The Department of Justice's investigation of shootings determines the witnesses who corroborate Wilson's report is credible, while those who oppose his account are not. Witnesses claiming Brown surrendered or did not move towards Wilson were unreliable; reports say their claims are inconsistent with physical evidence, other witness statements, and in some cases previous statements from the same witness. No witness statements that point to Wilson's errors are determined to be reliable. Twenty-four statements are determined not to have credibility, while eight found credible reinforce Wilson's account. Nine does not completely contradict or corroborate Wilson's report. Some witnesses reported fear of retaliation from the community for providing evidence that corroborates Wilson's opinion.
Interview and Wilson's testimonial
Wilson gave his report on the incident in an interview with a detective on August 10, and in testimony before the grand jury in September. Wilson said he had just left a phone call involving a sick person when he heard on his radio that there was an ongoing burglary in a local shop. Wilson heard the descriptions of the suspects and immediately after observing two black men walking down the street. Wilson stepped aside and told them to walk on the sidewalk, and Johnson replied, "we are nearing our goal". As they passed her window, Brown said, "Fuck what you have to say".
Wilson then retreated about ten feet to where they were and tried to open the door. After retreating, Wilson told them both to "come here", and Brown told him in return, "what will you do". Wilson closed the door and Brown approached him and he opened the door again "tried to push him back", telling him to come back. Brown "started swinging and punching me from outside the vehicle", and Brown banged his body against the door. Wilson said Brown's first strike was a "spanking blow", and at that moment he was trying to take off Brown's arm from his face. It was then that Brown turned left and handed him some packs of cigar smoke. Wilson then grabbed Brown's right arm trying to gain control, but Brown hit his face. Wilson said he "felt like a 5-year-old holding Hulk Hogan" when he tried to hold off Brown when he reached through the police car window. Wilson says it "thwarts" him back and he shouts at Brown many times to stop and come back. Wilson says he is thinking of using his wand and his wand, but he can not reach either of them. He then pulled his gun and aimed it at Brown and told him to stop or he would shoot him, while ordering him to the ground.
According to Wilson, Brown later said, "You're too dizzy to shoot me," and grabbed his gun and twirled it, pointing it toward his hip. Wilson placed his left hand into Brown's hand and the other hand in the gun and pushed forward with both arms. The gun was somewhat parallel to Brown, and Wilson pulled the trigger twice, but the weapon failed to get out. In the next experiment, the shotgun was fired and Brown then tried to hit him several times in his vehicle. Wilson shot Brown again, but missed and he ran east, while Wilson got out of his car and asked for help on the radio. Wilson followed him, screaming for him to stop and get down to the ground, but he kept running. Brown finally stops and turns and makes a "snorting sound" and starts running towards him with his right hand under his shirt at his waist. Brown ignores Wilson's orders to stop and land, so Wilson fires a few shots at him, stops and yells at him to get back to the ground, but Brown still attacks him and does not slow down. Wilson then fired another shot, but Brown was still running towards him. When Brown was about eight to ten feet long, Wilson fired more shots, with one of them hitting Brown's head, who carried him down with his hands still at his waist. Wilson said two patrol cars appeared about fifteen to twenty seconds after the last shot. When his boss arrived, he was sent to the police station.
Wilson told detective Brown had reached his right hand to his waist and that the hand was still visible on his belt after Brown was shot. Medical investigators on the set did not take pictures and testified to the grand jury that Brown's left arm was under his corpse, near the waist, and his right hand was extended out.
On November 26, Wilson gave his first public interview about the shootings to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.
Strengthening Wilson's testimony
Many witness accounts are consistent with Wilson accounts and also agree with existing physical evidence. Many witnesses confirmed that Wilson acted defensively during the event. A number of witnesses who corroborated Wilson's account of the event expressed fear and fear in testifying, saying that they had been harassed or threatened by individuals from the Ferguson community. The following are examples of witnesses whose accounts are in harmony with Wilson's testimony.
Witness 102 is a 27-year-old birakial man. He said he saw Wilson chase Brown until Brown suddenly turned around. Brown did not put his hands up but made some kind of movement similar to pulling his trousers up or shoulders and then making a full charge at Wilson. Witness 102 thought that Wilson's life was threatened and he only fired when Brown came to him.
After the shooting, Witness 102 remained in the neighborhood for a short time, and corrected some who claimed Wilson "stood on [Brown] and fired when [he] was on the ground". In response, Witness 102 said Wilson shot Brown because Brown returned to Wilson. Witness 102 "kept thinking" Wilson's shot "lost" Brown because Brown kept moving. Witness 102 did not live in the old neighborhood, and left the area shortly thereafter because he felt uncomfortable. According to witnesses, "the crowd began to gather, wrongly claiming the police shot Brown for no reason and he surrendered by surrender". Two black women approached Witness 102, a cell phone set to record, asking her to tell him what she had witnessed. Witness 102 replied that they would not like what he had to say. The women responded with racial insults, calling them names like 'white bastards'. "
Witness 103, a 58-year-old black man, testified that from a parked truck he saw "Brown punched Wilson at least three times in the face area, through the driver's window open SUV... Wilson and Brown [have] held their shirts, but Brown "gets some punches [at Wilson]". "Wilson leaned into the passenger seat with his arms upward, in an attempt to block the blow. Then Witness heard a gunshot and Brown ran off. Wilson came out of the SUV, apparently using his shoulder microphone to call his radio, and chased Brown with his low weapon... Brown stopped by the car, put his hand on the car, and turned toward facing Wilson. Brown's hand then came down to his side. Witness 103 did not see Brown's hand. Wanting to leave, the Witness began to turn his car in the opposite direction to Brown who had run when he heard additional shots. Witness 103 turned to his right, and saw Brown "moving fast" toward Wilson. Witness 103 then left. "
Witness 104, a 26-year-old biracial woman, witnessed the final quarrel of the minivan:
[Witness 104] saw Brown escape from the SUV, followed by Wilson, who "jumped" out of the SUV and ran after him shouting "stop, stop, stop". Wilson did not fire his weapon when Brown ran away from him. Brown then turned and "briefly" started raising his hand as if he might have considered giving up, but then quickly "clenching his fist" in a running position and "charged" at Wilson. Witness 104 described it as "running tracking", explaining Brown "will not stop". Wilson fired his gun only when Brown attacked him, backing away as Brown approached him. Witness 104 explained there were three separate shots. Each time, Brown runs towards Wilson, Wilson shoots, Brown stops, Wilson stops firing, and then Brown attacks again. The pattern continued until Brown fell to the ground, "smashing" his face during a collision. Wilson did not shoot while Brown raised his hand shortly. Witness 104 explained it took some time for Wilson to shoot, adding that he "gets fired sooner". Wilson did not go near Brown's body after Brown fell to his death.
Witness 108, a 74-year-old black man, told detectives that the police officers were "on the right" and "doing what he had to do," and statements made by people in the apartment complex about Brown's surrender were inaccurate. Witness 108 then told the investigator that he "would shoot the boy," as well, and imitated Brown's aggressive behavior as he filled Wilson. He explained Wilson told Brown to "stop" or "drop" at least ten times, but Brown "charged" at Wilson. Witness 108 also told detectives there were other witnesses at Canfield Drive who saw what he was doing.
Witness 109, a 53-year-old black man, said he decided to go forward after seeing Dorian Johnson "lying" about the events on television. He said when Wilson asked the two boys to get out of the way, Brown responded to something with the effect of "Fuck with the police." After that, Wilson got out of his car and Brown hit his face. Witness 109 said he saw Wilson grab his Taser but dropped it and then took the gun, after which Brown grabbed the Wilson gun. According to 109, at one point Brown escaped from Wilson, but turned and charged towards officers. He said Wilson was shooting in self-defense, and did not seem to be shooting to kill at first.
Witness 113, a 31-year-old black woman, made a statement reinforcing Wilson's opinion. He said that he was afraid of the 'environmental reaction' that might come from his testimony, and was afraid to give a report contrary to the narration reported by the media that Brown raised his hand to surrender. He also told investigators that he thought Wilson's life was in danger.
Witness 136 was in his apartment using a video chat app on his cell phone when the shootings occurred. After hearing the first few shots, he recorded the rest of the chat on his phone and turned it over to the FBI. The recording is about 12 seconds and captures a total of 10 shots. The gunshot starts after the first four seconds. The recording captures six shots in two seconds. After a three-second pause, the seventh shot was heard. A pause of less than a second gave way for the last three shots in two seconds. The tape was not stamped. As described below, this recording is consistent with some reliable witnesses and witness Wilson accounts, that he fired several shots, briefly stopping between each.
The contradiction of Wilson's testimony
Several witnesses who initially testified against Wilson were also interviewed by the prosecutor. They claim to lie under oath for the truth of their testimony. At least one witness took an account from the newspaper; these witnesses were then discredited by researchers during the process.
Witness 22, who originally claimed he saw Wilson kill Brown in cold blood, claimed he lied to the researcher and never saw the incident at all. He says that he only conveys the information that his girlfriend told him. The court transcript reads:
Prosecution : "You give two statements, are both statements true?"
Witness 22 : "No. I just feel like being part of something... I do not see what I say to the FBI what [ sic ] I see. "
The prosecutor also played a grand jury 10 minute police interview with a man who claimed to have witnessed the shooting. They then played a phone call in which the man confessed that he actually did not see the incident at all. Another witness insisted another officer was with Wilson at the time of the shooting. (With all other accounts, Wilson was the only officer present when he shot Brown). The witness described having a clear view of what happened even though there was a building between the location of the witness and where the incident occurred.
Witness 35 says that Brown "kneels" when Wilson shoots his head. Under interrogation, his testimony was a mess, and he confessed to making it up.
Prosecution : "What you say you see is not possible forensically based on evidence.Were you telling us that the only thing right about all your statements before is that you saw the cop shoot him at a short distance? "
Witness 35 :" Yes. "
Another witness describes Brown in his arms and knees begging for his life. After a prosecutor confronted the witness and told them what they saw was not likely to be forensically based on evidence, the witness then asked to leave.
Another witness - number 37 - testified that, during a confrontation in Wilson's vehicle, Wilson shot a point of empty chocolate across the chest - but Brown did not fall and was not clear of bleeding as he fled. This witness gave several different reports about how many shots were fired. As he gets pressed for answers to the truth of his statements, he asks questions in return, refusing to decipher his statements.
Prosecution : "You have told us three different stories while we were here today so I want to know which one is really your memory or did you see this at all?"
Witness 37 : "If nothing of my goods makes sense, why do you keep contacting me?"
Dorian Johnson
Johnson, a friend of Brown, who was with him that day, gave his report of the incident to the media in August and testified before the grand jury in September. In a media interview, Johnson said Wilson stopped beside them and said, "Get f-- on the sidewalk." The youths replied that they "are not just a minute from their [them] goal, and [they] will be out of the way soon". Wilson drove forward without saying anything further and suddenly backed out, positioning his vehicle across their path. Wilson tried to open the door aggressively and the door bounced off both of their bodies and closed back to Wilson. Wilson, still in his vehicle, grabbed Brown at his neck through an open window, and Brown tried to pull away, but Wilson continued to pull Brown toward him "like a tug of war". Johnson said Brown "did not grab the officer's weapons at all", and tried to get free, when Wilson pulled his gun and said, "I'll shoot you" or "I'll shoot", and fire him a gun smacking Brown. After the initial shot, Brown frees himself, and both run away. Wilson got out of the vehicle, and fired several times into the escaping Brown, hitting him once in the back. Brown turned with his hands up and said, "I do not have a gun. Stop the shot!" Wilson then shot Brown several times, killing him.
In his testimony to the grand jury, Johnson said he and Brown had walked into a supermarket to buy cigarillos, but Brown instead reached the counter and picked up and pushed a scribe on the way out the door. Johnson testified that as they walked home, Brown brought a small cigar in his hand in front of his eyes and two Ferguson police cars passed over them, but did not stop. When Wilson meets them, he tells the two to "make love on the sidewalk" and Johnson tells him that they will get out of the way soon as they are close to their destination. Johnson testified that Wilson was an attacker from the start and that for no apparent reason, he supported his vehicle and tried to open the door, but Brown closed it, preventing him from leaving. Johnson said Wilson then reached out and grabbed Brown at the neck and both were involved in a "tug of war", and Wilson said "I'll shoot". Johnson said he never saw Brown hit Wilson and did not think Brown grabbed the Wilson gun, but the shot was fired. At the time, Johnson said they both ran and Wilson fired when Brown fled, Brown turned and "at that time Big Mike's hand went up, but not too much in the air, because he has been hit". Johnson told the jury Brown said "I do not have a gun", angry and tried to say again "I do not have a gun", but "before he can say a second sentence or even before he can remove it, that's when a few more shots come. testimony, Johnson maintains Brown did not run in Wilson before a fatal shot.
Initial reaction and analysis
August 9-14
Peaceful protests and civil unrest broke out the day after the shooting of Brown and lasted for several days. This is partly due to the belief among many that Brown surrendered, as well as long-standing racial tensions between the black-skinned population and the white city government and police. When details of the original shootings emerged from the investigators, the police grappled with setting a curfew and keeping order, while members of the Ferguson community demonstrated in various ways around the original shootings. On August 10 , the anniversary commences peacefully, but some members of the crowd become irregular after lighting the candles of the night. The local police station gathered about 150 officers in anti-riot equipment. Some people start looting businesses, damaging vehicles, and facing police officers trying to block access to some areas of the city. Broad media coverage examines the post-9/11 trends of local police departments arming themselves with military-grade weapons when faced with protests. In the days after the shootings, state and federal officials weighed this issue. On August 12, President Barack Obama expressed his condolences to Brown's family and community. On August 14 , Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said in an op-ed in Time Magazine that the incident was a tragedy and that the police force should be demilitarized.
August 15-30
On August 15 , a report and video showing a shop robbery by Brown was released by the Ferguson Police Department. Brown is accompanied by his friend, Dorian Johnson. Reports and videos are part of a package that includes information about subsequent shootings. A report containing a framed surveillance record shows that Brown grabbed a small cigar box, followed by a struggle or confrontation between Brown and a clerk. The statutory time limits in the Sunlight Act, equivalent to the federal Freedom of Information Act in Missouri, are the reasons mentioned for exemption after the request by St. Louis Post-Delivery , Judicial Watch and more.
The Justice Department has urged the video not to be released, saying that the release would heighten tensions. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon identified the release as an attempt to undermine Brown during an investigation that would inflate the community. The Brown family released a statement in which they condemned the way the police chief chose to disseminate information, calling it a character assassination following their son's "execution force".
The release of information August 15 was criticized as part of an uncertain and infrequent release of information by police. Earlier, police detained the names of officers involved in the shootings, citing security issues after death threats against unnamed officers. District Police Incident Report St. Louis has no details. The Ferguson Police incident report was obtained by the ACLU after subsequent requests and claims. Wilson did not file an incident report and there were no reports of Ferguson's use of troops related to the incident. The Ferguson Police Department refused to commit to the deadline for releasing a full autopsy report.
When the reports and videos were released, police said Wilson knew that Brown was a suspect in a robbery. In a press conference, Jackson said the robbery was not linked to initial contact, and had nothing to do with Wilson stopping Brown and Johnson. Jackson later clarified Wilson admitted Brown as a suspect because he saw a box of cigars in his hand. Eugene O'Donnell, a former district attorney in New York City who now serves as a professor at John Jay's College of Criminal Justice, said, while police officers may have stopped Brown from crossing the street, Brown might think the officer knew about robbery: the cop is not affected, but what can be affected is the [Brown] reaction to the police. "
A Pew Research Center survey published on Aug. 18 shows differences in American public opinion between whites and blacks. This shows 80% of blacks and 37% of whites believe the shootings "raise important race issues".
On August 24 , St. Louis held their annual Peace Celebration, which had a special focus on Mike Brown. Also present were Mike Brown's father, Mike Brown Sr., and parents of Trayvon Martin (an unarmed black teenager shot and killed in Florida in 2012).
In August, Ferguson police chief Tom Jackson said Wilson had been injured in the incident. Wilson's medical records show his injuries were diagnosed as facial bruises, a term used to describe bruises.
The Brown Cemetery was held on 25 August and attended by about 4,500 people. Al Sharpton delivered one of two eulogies.
September-November 24
On October 22 , an anonymous source is leaked to Louis Post-Delivery what they describe as grand jury Wilson's testimony, after another leak on the version of Wilson's show. The Justice Department issued a statement that it "considers selective release of information in this investigation to be irresponsible and very disturbing." Since the release of the store's record, there appears to be an inappropriate attempt to influence public opinion about the case. "Wilson's defense team denied them are behind a leak, saying they "do not have any of the reports disclosed or investigative reports". The St. Louis The county prosecutor's spokesman said his office would not investigate the leaks because they could not force journalists to leak their sources, and "you can tell from the information they have that the leaks do not come from the grand jury or the office attorney." Leaks about grand jury testimony have been criticized by the Department of Justice as an improper attempt to influence public opinion about the case. The leak refers to evidence supporting Wilson's testimony and reducing the possibility of indictments while fanning the angry protesters' fire.
November 24-early December
After the grand jury announcement, protests, some of them violent, broke out at Ferguson and other cities across the United States. Some of Ferguson's businesses were looted and fires set by protesters. Protests erupt in 170 cities across the US, including St. Louis, Philadelphia, Seattle, Albuquerque, New York City, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Oakland, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston. Many media reports and lawyers criticized the process for failing to return indictments in cases of law enforcement officials.
A December 2014 poll by the Washington Post-ABC News showed the majority of blacks do not believe that they are receiving the same treatment as whites by police or the criminal justice system. Six out of ten white Americans believe that police treat racial equals about half of white Americans who believe that criminal justice provides equal treatment, but there is a sharp partisan division between white Americans. The conservative or Republican white whites are much more likely to say whites and blacks receive equal treatment in the justice system than in liberal white or American Democrats.
March 2015
On March 4 , the US Justice Department announced Wilson would not be charged in the shootings. His report says "[t] here there is no evidence the prosecutor can use to dispute Wilson's subjective opinion that it states that he is concerned about his safety," and that the notes that Brown raised his hand "are inaccurate because they are inconsistent with physical and forensic evidence".
President Obama reacted to the announcement, stating, "The findings made by the Department of Justice are unreasonable to determine that there is not sufficient evidence to prosecute Officer Wilson.That is a thorough, objective, independent federal investigation." He further added, "We may never know exactly what happened, but Officer Wilson like others accused of crime benefits from legal proceedings and reasonable standards of doubt."
International reaction
Foreign heads and foreign news organizations have commented on subsequent shootings and protests including China's Xinhua News Agency, Germany's Der Spiegel , the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Iran's Islamic News Agency, protesters across the Middle East, Russian Foreign Ministry, Spanish El Mundo , English Metro , and others.
Amnesty International (AI) sent a team of human rights observers, trainers and researchers to Ferguson. This is the first time the organization has put such a team in the United States. In a press release, USA AI director Steven W. Hawkins said, "The United States can not continue to let those who are obliged and obliged to protect to be the people most feared by their community." On Oct. 24, AI published a report stating human rights abuses in Ferguson. The report cited the use of lethal force in Brown's death, racial discrimination and excessive use of police, imposition of restrictions on the right to protest, intimidation of demonstrators, the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and remote acoustic devices, restrictions imposed on media that include protests , and a lack of accountability for law enforcement policing protests.
Reaction to grand jury decision
The grand jury process is not common due to significant departures and many of the other normal grand jury processes. The grand jury process of America operates in secret, with processes, evidence and testimony rarely released to the public in the case of no charges. From the outset, McCulloch wanted to provide transparency to the process and continue it transcribed with the intention of releasing the material to the public if there were no charges. Paul Cassell, a former US federal judge, said the investigative grand jury was unique because they are investigating without warranties that there is a criminal offense, unlike the usual grand jury process that has been screened for possible causes by a prosecutor. McCulloch's intention to present all the evidence resulted in a process that took longer than the grand jury to decide within a few days.
Earlier in the trial, the prosecution presented the Missouri 1979 law allowing officers to use lethal force "to make arrests or prevent escape from [someone] detainees". Before the grand jury conferred, the jurors were asked to ignore the previous instructions and use the legal proceedings of the Tennessee v Garner verdict, which says that it is unconstitutional for police officers to use lethal force to arrest innocuous suspects. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster admitted that the grand jury was informed under state law before being notified that lethal force can not be used only to prevent the escape of an unarmed suspect. MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell believes that this change is as much as a deliberate attempt by the prosecutor to make it impossible to indict Wilson. Andrew F. Branca, a Massachusetts lawyer who focuses on the law of self-defense, attributes O'Donnell's comments as a straw man to self-defense is a wholly independent justification for the use of lethal force. The St. Louis Public Radio then clarified that even if Wilson was indicted and punished in court under Garner's verdict, conviction could be challenged on the grounds that Missouri law permits the use of lethal force.
Prosecution of the case received special attention. Roger Parloff said prosecutors typically do not exclude genuinely liberating evidence and that prosecutors typically do not indict if they believe the defendant is innocent, disagreeing with the suggestion that McCulloch should provide evidence in order to get the charges. Jay Sterling Silver said that the grand jury case indicated a conflict of interest between the local prosecutor and the police, because the former had to maintain good relations with law enforcement. Mark O'Mara said the unusual process was to avoid the argument that the presentation was to influence certain outcomes, but even though McCulloch was still criticized for the decision. Paul Callan, a former deputy head of assassination at the Brooklyn District Prosecutor's Office, provides a layered response that confirms the option to present all evidence unusual, but unprecedented in controversial cases. Callan said some prosecutors used the grand jury process as a political cover in cases that would not be successful in court, and in cases where further civil investigations and lawsuits would pose further condemnation. William Fitzpatrick, of the National District Attorneys Association, said it was not unusual for prosecutors in cases involving the police to provide all available evidence and not ask for a specific indictment and defend the inclusion of McCulloch's evidence. Jeffrey Toobin agrees that the release may have been justified well because conviction would be highly unlikely in court, but the process used did not inspire confidence in the legal system. In later interviews, McCulloch defended the choice to include all the evidence and did not incline the presentation just to get the indictment.
The New York Times describes Wilson prosecutor's question as "gentle" and says it contrasts with the sharp challenge for witnesses whose accounts appear to be at odds with Wilson, and reporting this has led some to question whether the process is objectively claimed McCulloch. The Times reported the prosecutor asked the witness after witnessing if Brown seemed to grab the weapon in the face of Wilson, although some of them said this. In addition, the contradiction in testimony by Wilson and other law enforcement officials was not challenged by prosecutors. CNN's legal analyst, Sunny Hostin, criticized prosecutors for asking softball questions during cross-examination of Wilson's testimony, and refers specifically to the fact that no witness can reinforce Wilson's story that he had warned Brown twice to lie on the ground, and when asked, witnesses said they did not hear him say that.
After the grand jury's decision was announced, Brown's stepfather, Louis Head, turned to the crowd of protesters who had gathered, and shouted "Burn this bitch," according to the video New York Times . Shortly before, he said, "If I woke [at the platform] I would start a riot." He then apologized for the blast.
Aftermath
On Sept. 24, Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson publicly apologized to Michael Brown's family. On March 12, five months later, Thomas Jackson resigned from the Ferguson Police Department. On November 29th, Wilson resigned from Ferguson police without severance pay, citing security concerns. Wilson's lawyer said Wilson "would never become a police officer again" because he did not want to put another officer in danger because of his presence. The National Bar Association, an African-American lawyer and judge organization, filed a complaint with the Missouri Department of Public Security that demanded the permission of the Wilson police police be revoked. Wilson's efforts to get a job as a police officer did not work.
President Barack Obama announced the federal government would spend $ 75 million on body cameras for law enforcement officials, as one of the measures taken in response to the shootings.
According to an Associated Press annual poll of US news directors and editors, the headlines of 2014 are police killing of unarmed blacks - including the Brown shootings - as well as their investigations and protests thereafter.
Roger Goldman, professor emeritus at the Law Faculty of Saint Louis University, Flanders, a professor of law from Saint Louis University, and Senator Jamilah Nasheed sought legal reform of the state of Missouri to comply with the US Supreme Court's 1985 ruling, v. Garner .
The cover of The New Yorker ' s January 26 , 2015, the issue depicted by Martin Luther King Jr. connecting arms with Eric Garner and Wenjian Liu, and joining Trayvon Martin and Brown.
Funds for Wilson and Brown's family were asked on the Internet, each collecting hundreds of r
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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