Ferguson 2014
On August 9 2014, police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Here are the facts:
- Dorian Johnson and Michael Brown rob cigarillos from
a convenience store and begin their walk home.
- Wilson sees two men (Michael Brown and Dorian
Johnson) walking in the middle of the road and tells them to walk on the
sidewalk. Wilson states Brown responded negatively ("**** what you have to
say."), while Johnson insists Wilson had told them to "Get the ****
out the street!" Johnson tells the officer that they were almost at their
destination.
- Wilson claims he recognised the two men as the
thieves from the convenience store from the description given on his radio. He
sends out a dispatch and reverses his car to be closer to Brown and Johnson. He
claims he tried to open his door but Brown forced it shut. Johnson claims the
door bounced off Brown because of his large size.
- Wilson states Brown began the physical altercation,
punching the officer through the window and grabbing his gun. Johnson, however,
claims Wilson instigated the incident by grabbing Brown by the throat and
pulling him towards the window.
- A shot was fired during the physical altercation (as
evidenced by the autopsy, police and eyewitness reports). Brown begins running
and the officer follows. Brown turns around. Johnson and other witnesses say
Brown began to surrender, but Wilson states Brown turned around to charge at
the officer in an aggressive manner. Wilson subsequently shoots and kills
Brown.
- Brown was shot six times, as confirmed by both the
official and independent autopsies. These reports also show that Brown was not
hit from behind, discrediting some of the eyewitness accounts.
- Brown was unarmed and all the shell casings came
from Wilson's gun.
This certainly has been one of the most polarising events in recent American history. Many are passionately against the Grand Jury's decision not to indict Darren Wilson.
The reason this case has sparked so much controversy is because of the seemingly suspicious circumstances surrounding Mike Brown's death. Indeed, there is a considerable amount of evidence to cast doubt on the situation. Why was Michael Brown's body allowed to lie in the street for four hours? Why didn't Darren Wilson write a witness report as soon as the event happened? Could it have been to allow time for the police to fabricate another story? Why did Wilson claim that during the physical altercation he felt like a "five year old holding onto Hulk Hogan" when Mike was not that much bigger than he is (Brown was 6"4 and 290 lbs compared to Wilson who is 6"4 and weighs 210 lbs). If Wilson claims Mike's punches would have eventually rendered him "unconscious" and proved to be "fatal," why were his injuries so minor? I mean, let's face it - Wilson came out a lot better than Brown - a slightly reddened, swollen face, is nothing compared to Brown's six bullet holes. Furthermore, why wasn't Wilson's gun - a crucial piece of evidence - dusted for prints? And isn't it possible that when Brown leant forward (supposedly to charge at Wilson in an act of aggression) he could have been getting down to his knees, or simply leaning forward out of pain? Let's remember, he had just been shot numerous times. Moreover, even though the police initially stated that Brown died 35 feet from the car, in actual fact Brown died about 150 feet from the vehicle. Stating that he was 35 feet away could have been a deliberate lie because an officer is allowed to use force when in danger if the threat is 25-35 feet away, hence justifying Wilson's actions. Wilson also said he knew about the robbery during the incident, meaning that he could legally shoot Brown to prevent a dangerous suspect from fleeing. However, Ferguson Police Chief, Tom Jackson cast doubt on whether or not Wilson knew about the robbery when he stopped Brown for jaywalking.*
And what about the conflicting eyewitness accounts? Witnesses who went public claim that the two fought in the car, and then Wilson chased Brown and shot him to death as he attempted to surrender. Other eye witnesses who did not go public corroborated Wilson's story, saying Brown did not surrender and was charging towards the officer. The eyewitness accounts which absolved Brown of blame were said to be "unreliable" as the witnesses often changed their story, or gave an account which was inconsistent with the findings from the autopsy. But is it arguable that the witnesses' accounts were too quickly dismissed? Although it is inconclusive, the autopsy report shows that one of the gunshot wounds to the arm could have occurred while Brown had his hands up.
One chart from the PBS NewsHour can help paint a clearer picture:
Finally, and this is personally my biggest issue with the case, was it really necessary to shoot Brown six times? Could his death been avoided? While I understand why Wilson could not use the pepper spray initially while the two were fighting in the car in such a close proximity, I fail to see why he did not use it to defend himself against the charging Brown when the two were outside the vehicle in the open air.
Alternatively, there are some who support Darren Wilson's story, and believe the shooting was justified. It's true - this did take place in Ferguson, an area where tensions between police officers and citizens are high. It is possible that Brown was the one to antagonise the officer, and initiate the violence which prompted the shooting. This version of events becomes much more feasible when viewing the surveillance footage showing Brown's aggressive actions towards the store manager during the robbery.
Some are concerned with the resulting hostility and harassment law enforcement is now facing, and the 'kill all cops' attitude that is sweeping through the US. Others are angry that their communities have been affected by violent riots and looting. Some believe the protesters are simply caught up in a type of 'mob mentality', and that supporting this event has become more of a trend than a protest for positive change.
What can we learn from the situation in Ferguson? Well, certainly not what actually happened to Mike Brown. It is doubtful that we will ever know the exact circumstances surrounding his death, and whether or not Darren Wilson was justified in his actions. However, the lack of clarity surrounding his death has managed to illuminate several important issues in America today:
*http://www.vox.com/cards/mike-brown-protests-ferguson-missouri/mike-brown-shooting-facts-details
Alternatively, there are some who support Darren Wilson's story, and believe the shooting was justified. It's true - this did take place in Ferguson, an area where tensions between police officers and citizens are high. It is possible that Brown was the one to antagonise the officer, and initiate the violence which prompted the shooting. This version of events becomes much more feasible when viewing the surveillance footage showing Brown's aggressive actions towards the store manager during the robbery.
Some are concerned with the resulting hostility and harassment law enforcement is now facing, and the 'kill all cops' attitude that is sweeping through the US. Others are angry that their communities have been affected by violent riots and looting. Some believe the protesters are simply caught up in a type of 'mob mentality', and that supporting this event has become more of a trend than a protest for positive change.
What can we learn from the situation in Ferguson? Well, certainly not what actually happened to Mike Brown. It is doubtful that we will ever know the exact circumstances surrounding his death, and whether or not Darren Wilson was justified in his actions. However, the lack of clarity surrounding his death has managed to illuminate several important issues in America today:
- It is absolutely vital for police officers to wear body cameras. It is not necessarily about having a lack of trust in police officers - it is about having concrete evidence to clarify what happens in situations like Ferguson, where both the officer's testimony and witness statements could be considered unreliable. Besides, monitoring people while they work is nothing new - if retail workers can get used to working under surveillance, why can't cops? We need to ensure that America's protectors are indeed protecting their citizens.
- Police brutality is an issue in America. Many vines and videos have recorded police officers using excessive force. More cops need to be educated on how much force is enough force.
- Cops in America are too trigger happy. This is not the first time an unarmed teen has been killed; 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot in 2012 and his killer George Zimmerman was acquitted of the crime in 2013; and 12-year-old Tamir Jones was killed by cops who had received a call that "a guy" was pointing a "probably fake" gun at people. Surely a good cop would be able to subdue the perpetrator without killing them? Shouldn't guns only be used as a last resort?
- My final and most important point is: racism still exists in American law enforcement. Whether or not you believe Darren Wilson was racist, there is no denying that race-related tensions between police and civilians remains a major issue in America. Ferguson was only the trigger of an inevitable movement. The sheer amount of protestors speaking out against their unfair experiences with prejudiced cops proves that racism is still a prominent issue in America. Even having video evidence of cops using excessive force is evidently not going to be enough; the judge chose not to inditeEric Garner's killer despite the coroner deeming the case a homicide and the video clearly showing the cop using an illegal chokehold against Garner, and ignoring his screams: "I can't breathe!" Ultimately, this issue is not going to go away until more is done to promote racial tolerance within the police force - and America in general.
*http://www.vox.com/cards/mike-brown-protests-ferguson-missouri/mike-brown-shooting-facts-details
