[vtsnowedin]

Oh I agree that Obama's statement was inadequate.
The administration and the media have known the truth of the matter for months now yet they persist in the fiction of the "unarmed teenaged boy" Instead of the full grown hoodlum caught leaving his latest crime scene.

[wildbourgman]

Suppose the question is why go for the gun first?

That's an extremely good question. I agree, why did Michael Brown go for the officer's gun first?

I knew we could find common ground.

[Plantagenet]

Suppose the question is why go for the gun first?

Didn't you read the DA's statement?

Or the witnesses statements?

Or the police officer's statement?

Didn't you see the physical evidence?

Here---I'll review it for you:

The shooting occurred while Mr. Brown was assaulting the police officer. He was punching the officer through the police car window, and leaning into the squad car window and trying to grab the officer's gun.

Officer Wilson struggled with Mr. Brown for his gun and discharged two shots, one of which struck Mr. Brown in his thumb. There is powder on Mr. Brown's thumb and Mr. Brown's DNA and blood are inside the squad car, all of which prove that Mr. Brown had indeed forced his way through the window and inside the squad car as the officer said, and Mr. Brown's hand was on the officer's gun when it was fired as the officer said.

[vtsnowedin]

Suppose the question is why go for the gun first?

That that was probably Brown's decision. The pepper spray would be in a leather pocket on the cops belt probably at his back as he sat seat belted in his SUV. The side arm is just that "at your side".
I know a cop that when he first got through the academy was so trim that his belt wasn't long enough to hold all the regulation equipment called for. A few donuts later and he no longer has that problem.

[KingM]

I'm confused as to why this was the place to make a stand against police brutality. The guy was killed in ambiguous circumstances after committing a strong arm robbery. Meanwhile, there was a black guy killed at Wal-Mart in September, while shopping for a BB gun and talking on the phone with one of his kids. It was all caught on video. The officers were not charged or disciplined in any way. Why isn't that the situation drawing protests and demands for justice?

[wildbourgman]

I'm confused as to why this was the place to make a stand against police brutality. The guy was killed in ambiguous circumstances after committing a strong arm robbery. Meanwhile, there was a black guy killed at Wal-Mart in September, while shopping for a BB gun and talking on the phone with one of his kids. It was all caught on video. The officers were not charged or disciplined in any way. Why isn't that the situation drawing protests and demands for justice?

KingM, this was a poor choice of a place to make a stand, your right. I think this ends up hurting the overall cause of any future protest against police brutality.

[dinopello]

KingM, this was a poor choice of a place to make a stand, your right. I think this ends up hurting the overall cause of any future protest against police brutality.

I don't know if this will work but he mother of Brown is asking for this

"Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera. We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction. Let's not just make noise, let's make a difference."

I don't like the idea of general surveillance everywhere all the time, but recording interaction with law enforcement might be helpful. Like the dashcam.

[wildbourgman]

KingM, this was a poor choice of a place to make a stand, your right. I think this ends up hurting the overall cause of any future protest against police brutality.

I don't know if this will work but he mother of Brown is asking for this

"Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera. We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction. Let's not just make noise, let's make a difference."

I don't like the idea of general surveillance everywhere all the time, but recording interaction with law enforcement might be helpful. Like the dashcam.

I totally agree with dashcams and body cams. Any officer who doesn't want this should be fired. I think in this instance if the officer would have had a body cam he wouldn't have had to go through this grand jury review.

[Peak_Yeast]

I do not understand why they do not let this incident go to trial.

Would it not be better to do that in order to avoid this civil unrest - if all the facts come out and the officer (which seems likely) is acquitted then the unrest could be much less?

Just wondering...

[Plantagenet]

This incident isn't going to trial because the officer didn't commit a crime. Michael Brown attacked the officer when the officer tried to apprehend him for robbing the convenience store, and Brown was killed as he resisted arrest.

--------------------------------------

Governor Jay Nixon (D) of Missouri says he will deploy several hundred National Guardsmen on tuesday night to prevent additional arson, looting and rioting such as occurred on monday night.

National guard will finally be deployed in Ferguson

The governor's response was very weak during the first days of riots and looting in Ferguson last summer, and again he refused to deploy the national guard on monday even though over a dozen businesses were burned and looted by the rioters and Ferguson's mayor asked him for help to stop the rioters.


Pants UP! Don't Loot!

[wildbourgman]

I do not understand why they do not let this incident go to trial.

Would it not be better to do that in order to avoid this civil unrest - if all the facts come out and the officer (which seems likely) is acquitted then the unrest could be much less?

Just wondering...

Peak Yeast, it's not the grand jury's job to worry about civil unrest. The facts have come out and there was no probable cause. See if you go around bringing something to trial just to be politically correct, then you punish the innocent by them having to defend bull shit charges all the time. Do you know what that does to someones life, emotionally, socially and financially? The reason you have to establish probable cause before pressing charges (which is what an indictment is) is so prosecutors and police won't have the power that comes with bringing people to trial without merit and wreck innocent peoples lives. Having to establish probable prior to going to trail protects all people from over zealous and bias prosecution.

This case is much more clear cut for the defence than the Zimmerman/Martin case and that case was a horrible misunderstanding.

I actually think that the unrest was going to happen sooner or later. Had it went to trial the unrest would have possibly been during the summer months, I'm thinking a good arctic cold front could slow this down much faster than anything else. Allowing this to go to trail would have allowed it to fester and grow.

The officer is innocent he has the right to get on with his life and sell the movie rights or write a book.

[jjhman]

This mirning I read the grand jury questioning of the police officer. I thought he was very credible on most counts and that his testimony seemed to conform very well to the physical evidence described by the prosector and most of what was bandied about by the media in the preceeding weeks.

What seems without doubt is that the kid was hugh and he and his buddy had just robbed a small merchant of some cigars. There is video evidence of that. The kid and his friend were not innocent victims. The were hoodlems. Black or white the kid was a punk.

Did he deserve to get shot for stealing cigars? I hope not. I certainly did worse things that steal cigars as a kid.

The next thing that seems pretty clear is that he beat up the cop pretty bad while the cop was in his own car. That makes him criminally aggressive and stupid. There are photos of the bruising and swelling on the cop's face and neck. EVeryone admits that the cop fired his weapon twice while in the car. No one in their right mind would do that unless they truly feared for their life. Just the thought of the noise level is terrifying.

What happened outside of the vehicle is not as clear to me but my view is at that point that poor cop was so freaked out its a wonder he could do anything.

Is there a prejudice in cops against black kids? I think there probably is. But it appears that this kid's parents did a pretty bad job of informing him of that prejudice and instilling behavior that would save his life.

You couldn't convince me that this kid didn't try to physically overcome this cop and, right or wrong, the outcome in that case is almost certain.

[Sixstrings]

If he is no loss to his community then why did the president of the United States send three white house officials to his funeral?

Omg, will the Brown thing just end already!?!?!

This drives me UP a wall! Obama sent 3 officials to the funeral?!

Michael Brown IS NOT A HERO, he's a criminal! He attacked and CHOKED an innocent shop owner! He assaulted a law officer, punching him in the face, slamming the cop's door on him, calling him a "pussy" and saying "fuck what you think, poh-lease" and then he went for the cop's gun!

I'm just SICK of this, Brown is not a hero!

And then on CNN, they want to blame everyone BUT the rioters, for everything. LIke how the riots are the government's fault, because they announced the verdict so late at night and should have done it in the day!

(p.s. I know there's a profanity rule now but this is news, that's what Brown said to the cop)

[Peak_Yeast]

Thanks for taking your time to answer me.

Meanwhile i have read the story as given by members on this site and compared to what several danish media are writing.

And the description of the incident is quite different from the version quoted here on this site.

The Danish media paints a quite different picture:
Two witnesses that are not involved in the case otherwise says that Brown was holding his hands in the air in surrender - and was then shot two times - which were the shots that killed him.

This is in my opinion cause to make a case. Is the version of his surrender not in the American media?

I wonder which story is the right one, but it is interesting that the stories are completely opposite.

And by the way: I do not feel much sympathy for Browns actions and if I were the shop owner and had the opportunity I would like to think I shot the guy in the head. Also it seems to me that his family is trying to exploit the situation.

[Sixstrings]

Remember how supposedly the family was telling everyone to stay peaceful? I guess they had a change of heart:

Michael Brown's Stepfather Urged Protesters To "Burn This Bitch Down" After Grand Jury Announcement


http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/ferguson/burn-this-bitch-down-879056

He was yelling that right after the verdict. Did that incite the riot? Not that I blame the family, for anything, they just should not be LAUDED either.

There should be some SHAME here.

Their son CHOKED A SHOP OWNER, and he STOLE and then he ATTACKED AN OFFICER.

Where is the shame? Where is it?

EDIT: cnn says "you have to understand he's in a lot of emotional pain."

Good grief. Where are the GROWNUPS, anymore? Where is personal responsibility? Where is SHAME, when a family member chokes somebody and robs a liquor store? And what message does it send for government to make a hero out of a criminal? Makes no sense to me.

[lys3rg0]

Meanwhile a 12 year old boy was shot dead in Cleveland this weekend for pulling a toy gun on the police while in a public playground. Yet outside of Ohio has anyone heard of it? I certainly did not see it on CNN or FOX. The media picks and chooses what stories to report depending on their bias, just like the rest of us.

That's because the officer who did the shooting was also black.

This is how you know the MSM is just after inciting race wars and they have nothing against the police state.

[vtsnowedin]

Thanks for taking your time to answer me.

Meanwhile i have read the story as given by members on this site and compared to what several danish media are writing.

And the description of the incident is quite different from the version quoted here on this site.

The Danish media paints a quite different picture:
Two witnesses that are not involved in the case otherwise says that Brown was holding his hands in the air in surrender - and was then shot two times - which were the shots that killed him.

This is in my opinion cause to make a case. Is the version of his surrender not in the American media?

I wonder which story is the right one, but it is interesting that the stories are completely opposite.

And by the way: I do not feel much sympathy for Browns actions and if I were the shop owner and had the opportunity I would like to think I shot the guy in the head. Also it seems to me that his family is trying to exploit the situation.

Denmark is a long way from Missouri. There view has to be at least second hand or perhaps third. All the "witnesses" that said he had his hands up and was trying to surrender have been discredited by other actual witnesses and the physical evidence. Once you know someone is lying to you you have to discount everything they say as you can never tell where the truth ends and the lying begins.
Yes the stories are complete opposites. One is the truth and the other "Danish" version is a complete lie.

[Satori]

is that even a real pic of Brown's step father?
all the pics I can find show him to be a big,burly guy with a full beard

[Sixstrings]

Meanwhile i have read the story as given by members on this site and compared to what several danish media are writing.

And the description of the incident is quite different from the version quoted here on this site.

The Danish media paints a quite different picture:
Two witnesses that are not involved in the case otherwise says that Brown was holding his hands in the air in surrender - and was then shot two times - which were the shots that killed him.

This is in my opinion cause to make a case. Is the version of his surrender not in the American media?

Just because "Danish media" says "two witnesses said something" doesn't mean that's what happened. Your media is likely liberal with an agenda, so they're reporting what fits their agenda and their bias.

For starters, witnesses are notoriously unreliable in ANY case, five witnesses will often see five different things.

So for a jury, a lot more goes into it, totality of all the physical evidence and credibility of witnesses. A lot of the "witnesses" in this case were never really there, and later admitted they just heard about it in the neighborhood. Many of the witness outright "lied, and made it up" according to the DA.

So the upshot is that some witness said one thing, and then other witnesses gave Wilson's version.

It all boiled down to the one witness that corroborated Wilson, in that Brown made that final "head down, footbtall player" rush at Wilson. And that's when he shot again, and shot Brown in the top of the head, which makes sense if Brown was rushing the cop "head down like a football player."

Peak Yeast -- bottom line on all of this, per laws in the state of missouri, there was never any case here to start with. And really not even enough for a grand jury, the DA only did that out of abundance of fairness, due to protests.

Grand jury did its job. There is no probable cause for trial. The officer was doing his job, and followed his training.

And the grand jury spent months on this, very thorough, they asked good questions. A grand jury is like a "fact finding" thing, it's different from criminal trial, but I think they got to the bottom of it here fair enough.

Autopsy evidence, dna, ballistics, and witnesses all backed up the officer's version. Not to mention that robbery video -- that was case closed for me, soon as I saw that thing.

[Sixstrings]

is that even a real pic of Brown's step father?
all the pics I can find show him to be a big,burly guy with a full beard

I think the bearded fellow is the FATHER, and the man who said "burn the bitch down" is the mother's current partner.