by Jack
“In the interview, Johnson said that the police stopped them for no reason as they were heading to Johnson’s house. He claimed the police officer told them to “get the f- – – on the sidewalk,” grabbed Brown by the neck, pulled his gun, threatened to shoot him, and then did. Johnson said he and Brown ran. That the officer shot Brown again. That Brown yelled that he was unarmed, and that the officer shot him again and again.”
This was the statement of Brown’s crime-partner, they robbed a convenience store of cigars and other items moments earlier, as shown on the surveillance video.
The title above was borrowed from another news site who printed the account. But, what if none of his story was true? It is possible he’s lying because he has a very strong motive.
Does it make sense that a single white officer would casually roll up in his squad car on two black males, one that was tatted up and the other that was a giant and deliberately provoke them, using the F- – – for no reason? Does it make any sense that this officer would do this while seated in his car? (That’s a very vulnerable position) Does it make any sense that he would jump out of his car, pull his gun and grab the giants neck? (There’s no control there and just using the F word when speaking to citizens can get a cops a reprimand or a suspension. Why would he do that? Of course we know that using the F – – – word is used fairly casually in the hood. Who had more motive to attack and start a chain of events that ended in a shooting…the robbers or the cop who didn’t even know they had just robbed a store?
We can’t know these answers just yet, and we may never know all of what we want to know, but this is reason enough to step back and wait for the facts to come out. Lets all wait and see how things play out with the FBI investigation.
We made the same pleas in the Trayvon Martin shooting and in the long run we were absolutely right and the African-American community that called it a 1st degree murder was absolutely wrong. The jury concluded the shooting was justifiable and Martin was determined to be the aggressor. This time it’s much worse than the Trayvon Martin case because of the rioting and looting.
Don’t encourage more rioting by jumping to conclusions (Dewey). Let the law take it’s course.
Robbery defined: Anyone who commits a theft by force or fear is guilty of a strong arm robbery. If a weapon is used this is called armed robbery. If no weapon, no force and no fear were used, this is deemed shoplifting, however even shoplifting can be a felony if the dollar amount is high enough or if the person had the intent to enter the building to steal, then it becomes burglary – not shoplifting.
Jack I read the linked article and note the following:
I think this is an absurdity since we don’t yet know the facts. I find it extremely offensive that racism is assumed in white people…in white police officers.
Thanks to programs like section eight housing, a leftist social engineering project, people have been moving out of the big city ghettos and into relatively small urban (mostly white) towns and cities. Some come and bring their young kids to a better life. Others bring gang activity and thuggery common to cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.
Despite this change we have seen very few (undeserved) shooting deaths of minorities by cops in the mostly white small town America.
Lee Habeeb gets to the heart of this “problem” in a story from january 2013 in National Review, “The War Against Black Men”
A February 2008 posting at Cop in the Hood, “Police kill white people, too,” gives the issue added perspective:
Selective media hype in these cases is political…and unhelpful.
Jim Fisher blogs about crime and noted in his piece, “Police Involved Shooting Statistics: A National One-Year Summary,” that our government does not track some information that could be important. See here:
Unaddressed societal problems contribute greatly to situations like this. If we don’t start talking honestly about them they will never be resolved and this type of senseless death, looting, gang activity, and other lawlessness will continue to get worse.
Oh, I forgot to add the following conclusion from Jim Fisher:
And you’re right , Jack, the narrative on the officer doesn’t make any sense.
Thanks Tina, we’re on the same page, but as usual you always say it better than I ever could. There was an assumption of racism from the start, as you duly noted. What an outrage. That’s something that needs to be addressed.
We’re on the same page, but as usual you always say it better than I ever could. There was an assumption of racism from the start, as you duly noted. What an outrage. That’s something that needs to be addressed.
Jack, I wouldn’t say conservatives were “absolutely right” about Zimmerman. The man has a history of violence and domestic abuse allegations that have continued even after the Trayvon Martin shooting. I think the jury made the right call (as far as not charging him for murder–the prosecution was incompetent for not going for criminal negligence), but I also don’t think Zimmerman was morally innocent in Martin’s death. All signs point to Zimmerman being a violent man who doesn’t know when to stop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Zimmerman#Other_encounters_with_police
I am suspending judgment on the Ferguson case until we have more concrete information. Neither of the accounts make sense to me. You’re right that the officer didn’t have much of a motivation to do what some witnesses claim he did, but what you don’t mention is that Brown (who was unarmed) also had no motivation to attack an armed officer!
One thing we both seem to agree with is that the response from both the community in Ferguson and the police there has been out of proportion and counterproductive. Looting helps no one; it’s a completely nihilistic act of rebellion, and no rational person would argue that it’s a legitimate form of protest. The militarization of the police, and the arrests of journalists and tear-gassing of peaceful protesters who were already retreating, has only added to the problem. Neither has made their community look good; for supporters of police, the looters confirm that there is a subculture of black lawbreakers who relish in chaos; for supporters of Brown, the police tactics makes their claims of excessive force seem plausible. This is a conflict with no clear good or evil, and both sides are to blame for the devolution of Ferguson into something approaching a war zone.
Chris says:
You’re right that the officer didn’t have much of a motivation to do what some witnesses claim he did, but what you don’t mention is that Brown (who was unarmed) also had no motivation to attack an armed officer! – See more at: http://www.norcalblogs.com/postscripts/2014/08/16/story-true-ferguson-shooting/#sthash.8P2iqGRc.dpuf
***
Anyone who has worked in law enforcement does see a connection between the street altercation and the strong-arm robbery shortly before. Brown certainly had a motivation to attack the lone police officer. Whether the police officer knew that Brown and his accomplice (who later was touted as the unbiased witness in this case)had just committed a violent robbery, the two thugs definitely knew it. They even had evidence of the robbery in their pockets at the moment. They could not stand to be interviewed by the police, identified, searched, or temporarily detained while the pathetic little store clerk victim identified them in a line-up. Criminals often panic when approached by an officer, and their first instinct is to escape by any means possible.
Jack
No worries I am speechless…. Jack read the police Blogs….. Understand the area…..
Congressman Lacy said it at the press conference…
You can all sit in that safe place where the police are always going to do the right thing
I can tell you… it appears the cop will not be charged… Congressman lacy stated…you will not get a fair trial… wait for the DOJ to file a civil rights case…..
I am not going to comment…. People who watch it on news have not a clue……
again… good bye I am disgusted and amazed at the unwillingness to understand what is going on
Have fun.. I am going back into the thick of it, like collecting racists remarks off the cop sites…
Speechless and Sad for what is about to happen
Let’s all hope this thing calms down until the investigation is over. Information is still coming in. Here’s the latest I’ve seen
Does This Video Vindicate the Officer Who Shot Michael Brown?: (w/ transcript)
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/08/17/does-this-video-vindicate-the-officer-who-shot-michael-brown/
New Black Panthers Lead Death Chant Against Officer Involved in Ferguson Shooting:
http://www.ijreview.com/2014/08/168710-black-panthers-lead-death-chant-officer-involved-ferguson-shooting/
Peggy the witness heard in the background of the video posted by The Blaze, see also here, does seem to corroborate the officers version of events and bring into question the version offered by the victims friend.
Jack I always appreciate it when you write about these stories because you bring a police officers perspective, instincts, and experience that no ordinary civilian could. Believe me when I say you think of things that the average person would not!
Soaps too has good professional instincts:
Confirmed: Officer Darrin Wilson Did Know Mike Brown Was Suspect In Robbery, and Did See Stolen Cigars In His Hands Prior To Attempting Questioning…
Good points, Soaps.