The meme started out as sweet, tender 18-year-old Michael Brown about to enter college, murdered by police in front of many witnesses despite no discernible motive.  National uproar and civil disturbance ensues.

            The family of the deceased hires Benjamin Crump, the lawyer for Trayvon Martin’s family who engaged a high powered, well connected PR firm to turn that shooting into a national cause celebre, which they did with enormous success.  By the time the truth came out, most of America seemed to still believe that the deceased was a harmless, innocent victim of racism murdered by a monster who deserved to be lynched. That meme seems to be getting a repeat in Missouri.

            Only days later, do we learn how savagely the officer was beaten by the physically huge man he shot.  And that very shortly before the incident, the innocent college boy had performed a strong-arm robbery at a convenience store, caught on surveillance video. (This, of course, would not do, so last night looters ravaged that particular convenience store.)  It has been reported that that Facebook images of Brown exist, flashing gang signs indicating membership in one of the nation’s most feared street gang, the Bloods.

            Countless people already invested in the police brutality meme cry that this late news must be a cover-up.  They do not realize the long-standing ethos of law enforcement that says, “We don’t try our cases in the press.”

            There is still much for us to learn about what happened in Ferguson, Missouri that day. Results of the autopsy and toxicology screen have not yet been released. Location of entry wounds and trajectory of the bullets through the body will tell us things, and it would be interesting to know what if anything was in Michael Brown’s system when he turned from the “gentle giant” his family described him as, into the hulking monster throwing the store clerk around in the surveillance film shortly before he was shot by police.  I suspect there are dashcam images or i-phone video that the public has not yet seen.

            One lesson that has clearly emerged so far: the longer the accused wait to put forth their side of the story, the more damage will be done to their cause.  An accusation unanswered is seen by the general public as a plea of nolo contendre. 

            And this morning, CNN reports that storeowners, feeling that police aren’t protecting them from looters, are standing outside their shops in Ferguson with “machine guns.”

            Another lesson of déjà vu, I suppose…

154 COMMENTS

  5. ” I suspect there are dashcam images or i-phone video that the public has not yet seen.”

    They stated early on that his vehicle was, unfortunately, not equipped with a dash cam.

  6. ” I suspect there are dashcam images or i-phone video that the public has not yet seen.”

    They stated early on that his vehicle was, unfortunately, not equipped with a dash cam.

  7. Mas,

    Do you have any links to this?

    “Only days later, do we learn how savagely the officer was beaten by the physically huge man he shot.”

    Thanks,
    Rusty A.

  8. Mas,

    Do you have any links to this?

    “Only days later, do we learn how savagely the officer was beaten by the physically huge man he shot.”

    Thanks,
    Rusty A.

  11. @Steven S, if the officer had been beaten savagely as claimed (and the evidence there should be easy to corroborate once released) and Big Mike had turned to come back for more after reconsidering leaving the scene, then yeah, that might could be considered an entirely good shoot.
    There’s just too much speculation and outright bad information going out right now, I don’t see how anyone can make something resembling an informed decision.

  12. @Steven S, if the officer had been beaten savagely as claimed (and the evidence there should be easy to corroborate once released) and Big Mike had turned to come back for more after reconsidering leaving the scene, then yeah, that might could be considered an entirely good shoot.
    There’s just too much speculation and outright bad information going out right now, I don’t see how anyone can make something resembling an informed decision.

  17. About the people guarding their stores, they always have “machine guns” and ever notice the PD floods the area with “tanks”.

  18. About the people guarding their stores, they always have “machine guns” and ever notice the PD floods the area with “tanks”.

  21. It’s amazing that with the many more important events happening in the U.S. and around the world, the coverage of this local homicide is given so much play in the media. Dozens of fatal shootings happen in Chicago every month, involving young black men, but it seems that no big deal.

    The only difference in this case is that the shooter is a white police officer and the so-called victim is an American of African ancestry, not an “African American” as I doubt he has dual citizenship and besides, Africa is not a country, but one of the seven continents. Ignorance rules sometimes.

    We should wait until all the facts are evaluated and made public so the people can determine what actually happened. What I want to know is the caliber of the gun used and the ammunition in it. Also, was the last shot the one that struck his right eye and stopped his apparent charge.

    Looks like our fearless and completely color blind U.S. attorney general is sending certain handpicked members of his Federal Officer of Obama Land Security aka FOOLS to Ferguson to investigate this incident and find some kind of guilt to hang on the police officer who shot the “Gentle Giant” who was just minding his own business, and probably playing with butterflies and unicorns when he was viciously gunned down by the racist police.

    Now, if only that extremely big teenager had handed over his donut when ordered by the cop, this situation would have ended much differently.

  22. It’s amazing that with the many more important events happening in the U.S. and around the world, the coverage of this local homicide is given so much play in the media. Dozens of fatal shootings happen in Chicago every month, involving young black men, but it seems that no big deal.

    The only difference in this case is that the shooter is a white police officer and the so-called victim is an American of African ancestry, not an “African American” as I doubt he has dual citizenship and besides, Africa is not a country, but one of the seven continents. Ignorance rules sometimes.

    We should wait until all the facts are evaluated and made public so the people can determine what actually happened. What I want to know is the caliber of the gun used and the ammunition in it. Also, was the last shot the one that struck his right eye and stopped his apparent charge.

    Looks like our fearless and completely color blind U.S. attorney general is sending certain handpicked members of his Federal Officer of Obama Land Security aka FOOLS to Ferguson to investigate this incident and find some kind of guilt to hang on the police officer who shot the “Gentle Giant” who was just minding his own business, and probably playing with butterflies and unicorns when he was viciously gunned down by the racist police.

    Now, if only that extremely big teenager had handed over his donut when ordered by the cop, this situation would have ended much differently.

  23. Interesting how, with all of our modern forms of communication, and with every cell phone user a videographer, still, the truth can’t get out. It is smothered by lies. Why is it we only hear the media’s side of the story? Why can’t Officer Wilson speak to Alex Jones, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity or Michael Savage? Why can’t the police say something to help this situation? Why the days and days of looting? Can’t the police stop the looting? What about the National Guard?

    The Palestinians keep goading Israel to attack them, and the Left in this country seems to want anarchy so that the government can reveal its iron fist. They seem to want to start another civil war.

    I’m reminded of two quotes; “What fools these mortals be,” and “Beam me up, Scotty, there’s no intelligent life down here.”

  24. Interesting how, with all of our modern forms of communication, and with every cell phone user a videographer, still, the truth can’t get out. It is smothered by lies. Why is it we only hear the media’s side of the story? Why can’t Officer Wilson speak to Alex Jones, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity or Michael Savage? Why can’t the police say something to help this situation? Why the days and days of looting? Can’t the police stop the looting? What about the National Guard?

    The Palestinians keep goading Israel to attack them, and the Left in this country seems to want anarchy so that the government can reveal its iron fist. They seem to want to start another civil war.

    I’m reminded of two quotes; “What fools these mortals be,” and “Beam me up, Scotty, there’s no intelligent life down here.”

  25. Gov. Nixon from the link Mas provided.
    “We need to get justice in this case,” Nixon said on MSNBC Friday before the announcement by Ferguson police. “It’s good news after a great deal of prodding they’re going to release the name of this officer.

    If Nixon wants justice he should shut his huge flapper until the investigators have finished their job. To him it’s good news the Police Officer’s name was released to the lynch mob?
    For a white man he sure does sound like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

  26. Gov. Nixon from the link Mas provided.
    “We need to get justice in this case,” Nixon said on MSNBC Friday before the announcement by Ferguson police. “It’s good news after a great deal of prodding they’re going to release the name of this officer.

    If Nixon wants justice he should shut his huge flapper until the investigators have finished their job. To him it’s good news the Police Officer’s name was released to the lynch mob?
    For a white man he sure does sound like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

  27. That Michael Brown and the witness had just done a strong-arm robbery _should_ weaken the credibility of the witness’ account. Nevertheless, it will be difficult to convince a jury that the officer _needed_ to shoot an unarmed man while he was still 35 feet away. At best this seems like the case of someone shooting a burglar _before_ he actually breaks into the home. Maybe you knew he was gonna do it, but will the jury know it?

    Considering the distrust of the police within the growing minority communities, and considering that there do exist belligerant cops who trample on the rights of citizens (whether or not this officer was one of them), and considering that there _are_ people who the police need to shoot for behavior that does not necessarily leave a trail of evidence, I’m thinking that the only solution is to have all interactions video-recorded via collar-cams. I know cops don’t like that, but good cops should not have to suffer from the distrust generated by bad cops, and all the more so when they need to shoot someone. (Maybe there will be less worry about liability when the litigating attorney’s theory of the case can easily be _proven_ false.)

  28. That Michael Brown and the witness had just done a strong-arm robbery _should_ weaken the credibility of the witness’ account. Nevertheless, it will be difficult to convince a jury that the officer _needed_ to shoot an unarmed man while he was still 35 feet away. At best this seems like the case of someone shooting a burglar _before_ he actually breaks into the home. Maybe you knew he was gonna do it, but will the jury know it?

    Considering the distrust of the police within the growing minority communities, and considering that there do exist belligerant cops who trample on the rights of citizens (whether or not this officer was one of them), and considering that there _are_ people who the police need to shoot for behavior that does not necessarily leave a trail of evidence, I’m thinking that the only solution is to have all interactions video-recorded via collar-cams. I know cops don’t like that, but good cops should not have to suffer from the distrust generated by bad cops, and all the more so when they need to shoot someone. (Maybe there will be less worry about liability when the litigating attorney’s theory of the case can easily be _proven_ false.)

  29. That Michael Brown and the witness had just done a strong-arm robbery _should_ weaken the credibility of the witness’ account. Nevertheless, it will be difficult to convince a jury that the officer _needed_ to shoot an unarmed man while he was still 35 feet away. At best this seems like the case of someone shooting a burglar _before_ he actually breaks into the home. Maybe you knew he was gonna do it, but will the jury know it?

    Considering the distrust of the police within the growing minority communities, and considering that there do exist belligerant cops who trample on the rights of citizens (whether or not this officer was one of them), and considering that there _are_ people who the police need to shoot for behavior that does not necessarily leave a trail of evidence, I’m thinking that the only solution is to have all interactions video-recorded via collar-cams. I know cops don’t like that, but good cops should not have to suffer from the distrust generated by bad cops, and all the more so when they need to shoot someone. (Maybe there will be less worry about liability when the litigating attorney’s theory of the case can easily be _proven_ false.)

  32. Mas–have you seen the new developments? A witness conversation caught on camera at the scene seems to confirm the police account that Brown attacked Wilson. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/18/youtube-video-captures-purported-witness-backing-police-version-in-ferguson/

    You can hear the witness saying that Brown was at the police car, then ran away with the officer pursuing. Then Brown turned around, and advanced at the officer. The witness said the officer was firing, and he (the witness) thought the officer was missing because Brown kept advancing.

    This can’t be verified at this point, since it’s just an off camera conversation that was caught by accident, but the initial autopsy results seem to support this. It also explains the entrance at the top of the head–leaning forward while running and/or falling forward after the first shot to the eye.

  33. Mas–have you seen the new developments? A witness conversation caught on camera at the scene seems to confirm the police account that Brown attacked Wilson. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/18/youtube-video-captures-purported-witness-backing-police-version-in-ferguson/

    You can hear the witness saying that Brown was at the police car, then ran away with the officer pursuing. Then Brown turned around, and advanced at the officer. The witness said the officer was firing, and he (the witness) thought the officer was missing because Brown kept advancing.

    This can’t be verified at this point, since it’s just an off camera conversation that was caught by accident, but the initial autopsy results seem to support this. It also explains the entrance at the top of the head–leaning forward while running and/or falling forward after the first shot to the eye.

  34. Mas–have you seen the new developments? A witness conversation caught on camera at the scene seems to confirm the police account that Brown attacked Wilson. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/18/youtube-video-captures-purported-witness-backing-police-version-in-ferguson/

    You can hear the witness saying that Brown was at the police car, then ran away with the officer pursuing. Then Brown turned around, and advanced at the officer. The witness said the officer was firing, and he (the witness) thought the officer was missing because Brown kept advancing.

    This can’t be verified at this point, since it’s just an off camera conversation that was caught by accident, but the initial autopsy results seem to support this. It also explains the entrance at the top of the head–leaning forward while running and/or falling forward after the first shot to the eye.

  35. Mas–have you seen the new developments? A witness conversation caught on camera at the scene seems to confirm the police account that Brown attacked Wilson. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/18/youtube-video-captures-purported-witness-backing-police-version-in-ferguson/

    You can hear the witness saying that Brown was at the police car, then ran away with the officer pursuing. Then Brown turned around, and advanced at the officer. The witness said the officer was firing, and he (the witness) thought the officer was missing because Brown kept advancing.

    This can’t be verified at this point, since it’s just an off camera conversation that was caught by accident, but the initial autopsy results seem to support this. It also explains the entrance at the top of the head–leaning forward while running and/or falling forward after the first shot to the eye.

  36. Mas–have you seen the new developments? A witness conversation caught on camera at the scene seems to confirm the police account that Brown attacked Wilson. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/18/youtube-video-captures-purported-witness-backing-police-version-in-ferguson/

    You can hear the witness saying that Brown was at the police car, then ran away with the officer pursuing. Then Brown turned around, and advanced at the officer. The witness said the officer was firing, and he (the witness) thought the officer was missing because Brown kept advancing.

    This can’t be verified at this point, since it’s just an off camera conversation that was caught by accident, but the initial autopsy results seem to support this. It also explains the entrance at the top of the head–leaning forward while running and/or falling forward after the first shot to the eye.

  44. Deja Vu or very poor policing? For all the mess this incident has become, I
    can’t help thinking about the very first comments made by Brown’s friend about the incident. Somehow it rings true and this is what I can’t help thinking about.

    Friend says they are walking down middle of the street and cop pulls behind
    and says “Get the f*** on the sidewalk.” Some reply is given and no one gets on the sidewalk. Cop now pulls up along side them and throws open the door and it encounters one of the two and it bounces back toward him. He grabs Brown (through the window?) by neck/shirt collar and there is a scuffle before the shooting.

    I’m 69 but I can’t be the only person in the world who has ever been mad, late or distracted and thrown open the car door while beginning to get out and have
    it hit something and bounce back and hit me with an awful bruise besides hurting like heck. At its most basic we have the following.

    The very first encounter with the police and Brown and his friend was the
    result of jaywalking. The cop never imagined consequences from talking to Brown and his friend like that. He was foul-mouthed and probably got a lippy reply which then angered him more and he sped up and threw open the door with not enough room and it flew back and hit him and now he was really
    pissed. It was all downhill from the “Get the f*** on the sidewalk.”

    It usually takes more than 6 years (Officer Wilson’s time on the force) to
    get from “protect and serve” to “them and us.” Isn’t community policing
    simply using language and behavior to diffuse situations not enflame them?
    Can anyone reading this blog ever imagine Mas talking to people like Wilson
    did?

    If in fact the cop was “savagely” beaten then there will be pictures to prove it which will come out at some time. If I were the officer I’d certainly want such evidence documented immediately if not sooner. For all the militarization of the police in this town, they couldn’t afford dash-cams?

    I believe a very mature and experienced officer would have handled this situation in a way that would have had a happier outcome. Unfortunately the tone was set by the officer and the results were awful for the individual and the community and the country.

  45. Deja Vu or very poor policing? For all the mess this incident has become, I
    can’t help thinking about the very first comments made by Brown’s friend about the incident. Somehow it rings true and this is what I can’t help thinking about.

    Friend says they are walking down middle of the street and cop pulls behind
    and says “Get the f*** on the sidewalk.” Some reply is given and no one gets on the sidewalk. Cop now pulls up along side them and throws open the door and it encounters one of the two and it bounces back toward him. He grabs Brown (through the window?) by neck/shirt collar and there is a scuffle before the shooting.

    I’m 69 but I can’t be the only person in the world who has ever been mad, late or distracted and thrown open the car door while beginning to get out and have
    it hit something and bounce back and hit me with an awful bruise besides hurting like heck. At its most basic we have the following.

    The very first encounter with the police and Brown and his friend was the
    result of jaywalking. The cop never imagined consequences from talking to Brown and his friend like that. He was foul-mouthed and probably got a lippy reply which then angered him more and he sped up and threw open the door with not enough room and it flew back and hit him and now he was really
    pissed. It was all downhill from the “Get the f*** on the sidewalk.”

    It usually takes more than 6 years (Officer Wilson’s time on the force) to
    get from “protect and serve” to “them and us.” Isn’t community policing
    simply using language and behavior to diffuse situations not enflame them?
    Can anyone reading this blog ever imagine Mas talking to people like Wilson
    did?

    If in fact the cop was “savagely” beaten then there will be pictures to prove it which will come out at some time. If I were the officer I’d certainly want such evidence documented immediately if not sooner. For all the militarization of the police in this town, they couldn’t afford dash-cams?

    I believe a very mature and experienced officer would have handled this situation in a way that would have had a happier outcome. Unfortunately the tone was set by the officer and the results were awful for the individual and the community and the country.

  46. Here are two separate reports that sort of corroborate each other. One from an interview with the officers friend on a radio show. Another from a witness recorded on video who saw the shooting.

    Friend of the Officer:
    He [Wilson] pulled up ahead of them. And then he got a call-in that there was a strong-arm robbery. And, they gave a description. And, he’s looking at them and they got something in their hands and it looks like it could be what, you know those cigars or whatever. So he goes in reverse back to them. Tries to get out of his car. They slam his door shut violently. I think he said Michael did. And, then he opened the car again. He tried to get out. He stands up.

    And then Michael just bum-rushes him and shoves him back into his car. Punches him in the face and them Darren grabs for his gun. Michael grabbed for the gun. At one point he got the gun entirely turned against his hip. And he shoves it away. And the gun goes off.

    Well, then Michael takes off and gets to be about 35 feet away. And, Darren’s first protocol is to pursue. So, he stands up and yells, “Freeze!” Michael and his friend turn around. And Michael taunts him… And then all the sudden he just started bumrushing him. He just started coming at him full speed. And, so he just started shooting. And, he just kept coming. And, so he really thinks he was on something.

    Witness to the shooting:

    #2 Because he ran, the police was still in the truck – cause he was like over the truck
    #2 But him and the police was both in the truck, then he ran – the police got out and ran after him
    #2 Then the next thing I know he doubled back toward him cus – the police had his gun drawn already on him
    #2 The police kept dumpin on him, and I’m thinking the police kept missing – he like – be like – but he kept coming toward him

  47. Here are two separate reports that sort of corroborate each other. One from an interview with the officers friend on a radio show. Another from a witness recorded on video who saw the shooting.

    Friend of the Officer:
    He [Wilson] pulled up ahead of them. And then he got a call-in that there was a strong-arm robbery. And, they gave a description. And, he’s looking at them and they got something in their hands and it looks like it could be what, you know those cigars or whatever. So he goes in reverse back to them. Tries to get out of his car. They slam his door shut violently. I think he said Michael did. And, then he opened the car again. He tried to get out. He stands up.

    And then Michael just bum-rushes him and shoves him back into his car. Punches him in the face and them Darren grabs for his gun. Michael grabbed for the gun. At one point he got the gun entirely turned against his hip. And he shoves it away. And the gun goes off.

    Well, then Michael takes off and gets to be about 35 feet away. And, Darren’s first protocol is to pursue. So, he stands up and yells, “Freeze!” Michael and his friend turn around. And Michael taunts him… And then all the sudden he just started bumrushing him. He just started coming at him full speed. And, so he just started shooting. And, he just kept coming. And, so he really thinks he was on something.

    Witness to the shooting:

    #2 Because he ran, the police was still in the truck – cause he was like over the truck
    #2 But him and the police was both in the truck, then he ran – the police got out and ran after him
    #2 Then the next thing I know he doubled back toward him cus – the police had his gun drawn already on him
    #2 The police kept dumpin on him, and I’m thinking the police kept missing – he like – be like – but he kept coming toward him

  48. Here are two separate reports that sort of corroborate each other. One from an interview with the officers friend on a radio show. Another from a witness recorded on video who saw the shooting.

    Friend of the Officer:
    He [Wilson] pulled up ahead of them. And then he got a call-in that there was a strong-arm robbery. And, they gave a description. And, he’s looking at them and they got something in their hands and it looks like it could be what, you know those cigars or whatever. So he goes in reverse back to them. Tries to get out of his car. They slam his door shut violently. I think he said Michael did. And, then he opened the car again. He tried to get out. He stands up.

    And then Michael just bum-rushes him and shoves him back into his car. Punches him in the face and them Darren grabs for his gun. Michael grabbed for the gun. At one point he got the gun entirely turned against his hip. And he shoves it away. And the gun goes off.

    Well, then Michael takes off and gets to be about 35 feet away. And, Darren’s first protocol is to pursue. So, he stands up and yells, “Freeze!” Michael and his friend turn around. And Michael taunts him… And then all the sudden he just started bumrushing him. He just started coming at him full speed. And, so he just started shooting. And, he just kept coming. And, so he really thinks he was on something.

    Witness to the shooting:

    #2 Because he ran, the police was still in the truck – cause he was like over the truck
    #2 But him and the police was both in the truck, then he ran – the police got out and ran after him
    #2 Then the next thing I know he doubled back toward him cus – the police had his gun drawn already on him
    #2 The police kept dumpin on him, and I’m thinking the police kept missing – he like – be like – but he kept coming toward him

  49. Here are two separate reports that sort of corroborate each other. One from an interview with the officers friend on a radio show. Another from a witness recorded on video who saw the shooting.

    Friend of the Officer:
    He [Wilson] pulled up ahead of them. And then he got a call-in that there was a strong-arm robbery. And, they gave a description. And, he’s looking at them and they got something in their hands and it looks like it could be what, you know those cigars or whatever. So he goes in reverse back to them. Tries to get out of his car. They slam his door shut violently. I think he said Michael did. And, then he opened the car again. He tried to get out. He stands up.

    And then Michael just bum-rushes him and shoves him back into his car. Punches him in the face and them Darren grabs for his gun. Michael grabbed for the gun. At one point he got the gun entirely turned against his hip. And he shoves it away. And the gun goes off.

    Well, then Michael takes off and gets to be about 35 feet away. And, Darren’s first protocol is to pursue. So, he stands up and yells, “Freeze!” Michael and his friend turn around. And Michael taunts him… And then all the sudden he just started bumrushing him. He just started coming at him full speed. And, so he just started shooting. And, he just kept coming. And, so he really thinks he was on something.

    Witness to the shooting:

    #2 Because he ran, the police was still in the truck – cause he was like over the truck
    #2 But him and the police was both in the truck, then he ran – the police got out and ran after him
    #2 Then the next thing I know he doubled back toward him cus – the police had his gun drawn already on him
    #2 The police kept dumpin on him, and I’m thinking the police kept missing – he like – be like – but he kept coming toward him

  50. Re: Machine Guns.

    The News Video that I saw showed a “Shop Owner”, standing in front of his store, holding what appeared to be an AR-15 rifle, with a long magazine attached.

    While this may be an “Assault Weapon” look alike, unless it has the fire selelector switch, which includes positions for “Three roud burst fire”, and “Fully automatic fire”, IT IS NOT A MACHINE GUN, NO MATTER WHAT THE “LAME STREAM MEDIA” CLAIMS!

    The difference being, if a weapon only fires a single round, for each pull of the trigger, then it is still only a legal “SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE”, NOT AN ASSAULT WEAP0ON!

    “Soap Box OFF”

« Older Comments Newer Comments »

Comments are closed.