<p>Congratulations to him!</p>
<p>What was the pretext for pulling him over on his bicycle? </p>
<p>Both were awhile (5 or 6 years?) ago. I think they thought the bike might have been stolen. </p>
<p>So combining the conversation reported on the tape (I haven’t listened, going off written reports) and the autopsy, it seems there was a struggle by the police vehicle, Brown runs away, but then turns back, and is facing the officer, perhaps coming towards him, when he is hit in the arms and then leaning over forward, is fatally shot in the head. From there, one side seems to think Brown is standing there with his arms up, frozen in surrender. The other side seems to believe Brown is coming at the officer who first attempts to wound but not kill Brown, but then believing his life is in danger with Brown not incapacitated, fires again perhaps 2 times, but Brown is now leaning forward, perhaps in pain as he realizes his arms have been hit. This all goes down in seconds. </p>
<p>The autopsy is favorable to the police officer. Brown’s accomplice and friend said to police that the victim was shot in the back, so we know his story has been totally discredited. We need to know more about the shot fired in the police car and other forensic evidence, like gunpowder stains on the victim’s clothing to know what happened and what drugs, if any, this kid may have ingested. </p>
<p>There is a video recording of a witness who was speaking to a friend moments after the shooting who corroborates the version of the events as conveyed by the friend of the police officer. Apparently, Brown pushed the officer back into the police car and a fight ensued where the officer sustained severe injuries to his face. During the struggle, Brown attempted to wrestle the gun away from the officer and one bullet was discharged in the car. At this point Brown began to run and for reasons only he would know, he turned around and rushed the officer who shot Brown a number of times. Even though he had been shot in the arm a number of times, the victim kept charging the officer until the fatal shot was fired. It will be interesting to see what the toxicology report says. It could be this kid was on some kind of PCP or other hard drugs and that may have been why he disregarded the police officer.</p>
<p>Finally, the video of the strong-arm robbery of the nearby market indicates this kid isn’t some shy, innocent, sweet little kid. He happens to be 6 ft 4 inches and well over 250 lbs. He looked pretty threatening to me the way he manhandled and intimidated the store clerk.</p>
<p>BTW, the behavior of the some of the protestors in Ferguson is despicable. Looting and burning down stores, shooting at police and other bystanders and throwing molotov cocktails should be dealt with forcibly. Already a number of people have been shot during the rioting. I don’t want to hear any excuses or justifications for this criminal behavior.</p>
<p>Sorry, Goldenpooch, but I don’t agree. First, the witnesses claim he was shot AT while running away–they wouldn’t know for sure that he had been hit. (Also, we know this officer seems to be a pretty bad shot, judging by the arm wounds.)</p>
<p>That vague conversation you are referring to does not obviate the other witness testimony, which comes from multiple sources and is quite consistent. It is vague at best, with “he” being used ambiguously but being interpreted as condemning MB by a certain group of people. It’s funny that some would accept that one piece of data as fact while disregarding the larger body of testimony that clearly seems to implicate the officer. </p>
<p>And by the way: MB not being a “sweet, innocent kid” does not in any way justify his death here. We have a legal process for a reason. We don’t just mow down the people we don’t approve of or who have done stupid things. </p>
<p>Also, I don’t know where you get that the cop had “severe” injuries to his face. All I have read is that it was “swollen.” For all we know that could have been from crying over what he had done. He was not much more than a kid himself and was likely overwhelmed with emotion at the time. </p>
<p>Sally, the friend and accomplice of Brown said he was shot in the back. I don’t believe this guy at all. One other witness, a girl, also said Brown was hit while running away. This most recent witness, who unknowingly was recorded while speaking candidly to a friend right after the shooting, had no reason not to tell the truth. I don’t think anyone in this community is going to say anything favorable about the police officer if he cares about his well-being. </p>
<p>I think we need to wait and see all the evidence before we rush to a decision about culpability. Otherwise, people will rush to judgement and make the same mistake many made in the Duke lacrosse and Trayvon Martin cases.</p>
<p>I also don’t trust the civil rights attorneys from the Martin case who are hoping for a big payday and the two race-baiting hucksters, Jackson and Sharpton, looking to cause trouble with their histrionics.</p>
<p>
This isn’t Dragon Ball Z. ;)</p>
<p>I imagined, based on the trajectory, when Brown was shot he wasstaggering and looking down at himself. By that time he had receive four (or was it five) shots. </p>
<p>Could MB have been on the ground when the bullet entered the top of his head?</p>
<p>The police said the officer was hit and the side of his face was swollen. Soon we will see the pictures and we will know if it was because he was crying or he was really hit. </p>
<p>You don’t get shot 4 times in the arm from running away. You can get shot that many times in the arm if you are rushing the officer and refuse to stop.</p>
<p>The officer may have been hit, but I had not seen the word “severe” used before you used it.</p>
<p>The autopsy said the arm shots came from the front. The witnesses who were there said MB turned around after the first shots, so that is when he got hit. The head wound, especially the one that went through his eye and out his jaw and back into the collarbone, suggests his head being down while he was either looking at his arm or falling to the ground. </p>
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<p>You’ve already rushed to judgment. And why bring up the Duke case, rather than any of the hundreds of comparable cases involving cops shooting and killing unarmed black men?</p>
<p>99% of unarmed black men are killed by other armed black men. It is the race-baiting hucksters, Jackson and especially Sharpton, who like to make it sound that poor innocent black men are being wantonly killed by cops and roving gangs of white men.</p>
<p>Where was the link for that, @Goldenpooch?</p>
<p>There are hundreds of shootings (including killings) of unarmed, presumably innocent black men by police each year. (Plus of course the beatings, chokings, etc. like the incident that cause Eric Garner’s death in New York last month.) I can’t believe anyone would find that acceptable.</p>
<p>I slightly exaggerated. “Bureau of Justice Statistics data show that from 1976 to 2005, white victims were killed by white defendants 86% of the time and black victims were killed by blacks 94% of the time.”</p>
<p><a href=“Grim Cycle: Black Men Killing Black Men - WSJ”>http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304830704577496501048197464</a></p>
<p>This thread needs to be closed, it’s getting way too nasty. Some of you wii never understand why there is an inherent mistrust of cops in the black community. You won’t understand unless you are black, you have black kids, or you’ve spent a fair amount of time with a black friend and you’ve witnessed the double standard firsthand. I will say that I am saddened by the breakdown of the protesters. There seems to be two camps: peaceful protesters during the day and early evening, and knuckleheads late at night. I understand their frustration because they probably have had the most interactions with ferguson police, but this anger needs to subside because they are hurting their cause. </p>
<p>Most of the dialogue has been balanced and respectful, and I am guessing more than a few people’s eyes have been opened by reading of the experiences of others who have dealt with these issues firsthand. Not that it’s up to me, but I hope it doesn’t get shut down just because of a few posters.</p>
<p>I used to teach my kids that the police are their friends. There were situations that occurred that caused us to change that opinion. And this is not a race issue. </p>
<p>“There seems to be two camps: peaceful protesters during the day and early evening, and knuckleheads late at night. I understand their frustration because they probably have had the most interactions with ferguson police, but this anger needs to subside because they are hurting their cause.”</p>
<p>“Knuckleheads” seems like a rather mild term. When I get frustrated, I don’t throw Molotov cocktails and shoot at people.</p>
<p>Or maybe it has nothing to do with frustration, and it’s criminals and gang members, lowlifes who are having a little bit of opportunistic, violent fun.</p>
<p>You only want the thread closed if the prevailing sentiment that this kid was mowed down by a half-crazed racist cop is challenged. Instead of what feels good, I will go with the evidence, and so far it does not support what many are saying.</p>