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The police shooting death of Michael Brown on August 9th caused rioting, vandalism and a man with a handgun was shot by police.
There have also been peaceful protests.
Here is a list of facts in this case that is stirring up controversy over race, police excessive force and discrimination, the militarization of civilian law enforcement and race baiting. As always, there are at least two points of view in any conflict. Here’s a round-up of the most important aspects of the case:
1. Ferguson, Missouri is a suburb of St. Louis that has 21,000 residents, with a 67% African American population, while Missouri has a Black population of 11% statewide. There have been criticisms of under-representation of Black officers in Ferguson’s police department as there are 50 White officers and only 3 Black officers. In 2013, the attorney general’s office reported that Black drivers in Ferguson were about twice as likely to be arrested after police stops than Whites.
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1. Michael Brown was 6’4″ tall and weighed 292 pounds. He was filmed shortly before his death stealing a box of cigars from a convenience store. While Brown was unarmed, he intimidated and shoved the smaller store clerk. There are conflicting reports about whether the police officer who shot Brown was aware of the ‘strongarm’ robbery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu5g5py0JHY
3. The autopsy shows that Michael Brown was shot from the front, with 4 bullets to the arm and 2 shots in the head; one of the bullets entered from the top of the skull, indicating Brown’s head was bowed. The autopsy physician said it is unclear whether Brown’s head was bowed because he was giving up or because he was charging the police officer. Holder’s Justice Department will conduct a second autopsy.
4. There are two witnesses who have publicly claimed that Michael Brown ran away from the police officer, turned around, put his hands in the air and said, “don’t shoot”. These accounts are differ from a recording featuring an unknowing witness who indicates that Brown may have struggled with the officer for the gun and then ran away, turned, and then charged the officer.
5. Over the past week, protesters have hurled Molotov cocktails, shot at police, burned a building, looted stores and committed vandalism. When protesters violated the mandatory curfew, the Missouri Highway Patrol who were put in charge, shot a man who was armed with a handgun.
Before the Missouri State Highway Patrol came on the scene, police shot rubber bullets into crowds, trained high-powered weapons on innocent peaceful protesters, used tear gas on protesters and journalists, arrested journalists and rolled out military weapons to deal with civilians. The police over-reacted in a number of instances and were criticized for the use of military equipment and attitude.
6. Minister Johnathan Gentry accused Al Sharpton of race-baiting in Ferguson and said that the NAACP only gets involved in cases with Caucasians and police in order to spread hate. Gentry says that when Blacks kill Blacks, like the 60 people who were shot with 16 of them dying over the 4th of July weekend in Chicago, Black leaders like Sharpton are silent.
7. The current lootings and vandalism appear to be “pre-planned” per Police Chief Johnson. St. Lois County police report that at least 2 people have been shot in Ferguson, but not by police. The Governor has now ordered the National Guard into Ferguson. Some people are suggesting that there has been a provocation of violence so that the government can implement martial law.
http://fox2now.com/2014/08/18/michael-brown-death-missouri-national-guard-headed-to-ferguson/
What do you think is a good solution? Please leave a comment below.
Aug 18, 2014 @ 23:50:46
I am a retired LEO from Florida. If a person fills out an application, passes background investigation, passes all the tests and qualifications, then they are hired and go to work. I am sure there were not only 3 blacks who applied for this job in Ferguson. I never ever saw discrimination in my line of work for hiring anyone.
I am saddened at the way that things have changed so much. It surely appears that any law abiding citizen is looked at as the enemy. Too many video games and high tech machinery given to cities and counties from the pentagon. I feel there is an agenda. We have taken steps backwards as far as coming together as races. I feel this is all an agenda also.
Personally, I wish someone would arrest loud mouth Al. He has done so much harm. From the looks of his health, he may be on his last legs.
Just my humble opinion.
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Aug 18, 2014 @ 22:21:36
http://www.c-span.org/video/?321005-1/news-conference-confidential-news-sources
AUGUST 14, 2014
Freedom of the Press
James Risen and other journalism advocates spoke at a press conference on freedom of the press and Obama administration efforts to compel New York Times reporter James Risen to disclose a confidential source. Mr. Risen was subpoenaed in 2008 to testify at the trial of a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer accused of leaking information on Iran’s nuclear program. Mr. Risen refused to name a source for information about a CIA operation in Iran that appeared in his book, State of War. Journalists and journalism advocacy groups have supported a petition to the Justice Department to cancel the subpoena. National Press Club president Myron Belkind also spoke about the arrest of journalists covering protests in response to the police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
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Aug 18, 2014 @ 20:22:42
“There have been criticisms of under-representation of Black officers in Ferguson’s police department as there are 50 White officers and only 3 Black officers. In 2013, the attorney general’s office reported that Black drivers in Ferguson were about twice as likely to be arrested after police stops than Whites.”
It is never this simple, but how much evidence does one need of systemic discrimination and prejudice?
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