d-usa wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Do you have a link? I need to see that level of derp for myself

That was somewhere deep in the past of that thread, and I'm not even sure if that post is still there since I triangled it. I'll check later on tonight.

Relapse wrote:

 d-usa wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Do you have a link? I need to see that level of derp for myself

That was somewhere deep in the past of that thread, and I'm not even sure if that post is still there since I triangled it. I'll check later on tonight.

Was it when the Black cop shot the guy in Salt Lake?

Relapse wrote:

 d-usa wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Do you have a link? I need to see that level of derp for myself

That was somewhere deep in the past of that thread, and I'm not even sure if that post is still there since I triangled it. I'll check later on tonight.

Was it when the Black cop shot the guy in Salt Lake?

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

Relapse wrote:

 d-usa wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Do you have a link? I need to see that level of derp for myself

That was somewhere deep in the past of that thread, and I'm not even sure if that post is still there since I triangled it. I'll check later on tonight.

Was it when the Black cop shot the guy in Salt Lake?

Turns out the quote in question was about an unarmed Hispanic who was shot

 cincydooley wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

Relapse wrote:

 d-usa wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Do you have a link? I need to see that level of derp for myself

That was somewhere deep in the past of that thread, and I'm not even sure if that post is still there since I triangled it. I'll check later on tonight.

Was it when the Black cop shot the guy in Salt Lake?

Turns out the quote in question was about an unarmed Hispanic who was shot

So are you saying Hispanics don't riot

 whembly wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

Relapse wrote:

 d-usa wrote:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Do you have a link? I need to see that level of derp for myself

That was somewhere deep in the past of that thread, and I'm not even sure if that post is still there since I triangled it. I'll check later on tonight.

Was it when the Black cop shot the guy in Salt Lake?

Turns out the quote in question was about an unarmed Hispanic who was shot

So are you saying Hispanics don't riot

Just go back to OWS...

It was equal opportunity protesting then.

FERGUSON • Police Officer Darren Wilson told investigators that in a struggle for his pistol inside a police SUV, Michael Brown pressed the barrel of Wilson’s gun against the officer’s hip, according to a source with knowledge of his statements.

Wilson tried to prevent Brown from reaching the trigger, the source said, and when he thought he had control he fired. But Brown’s hand was blocking the mechanism.

When Wilson got two shots off, Brown was hit in the hand and ran. Wilson fired again when Brown turned back and charged at him, Wilson told investigators.

The white officer’s shooting of the unarmed black 18-year-old triggered protests, riots and a national debate over race and policing.

In the most detailed account of Wilson’s version of the Aug. 9 event to be made public, the source described how the encounter started, Brown’s refusal to stop charging at Wilson and the injuries suffered by both men.

Wilson’s version is only one of many told by various witnesses. Two witnesses say Wilson grabbed Brown through the window and tried to pull him into the SUV. Some say that after Brown broke free, he either did not move back toward Wilson, or was stumbling or walking when he was shot.

Investigators have repeatedly declined to comment on details of the investigation.

Told of Wilson’s version of events, Brown family lawyer Anthony Gray scoffed, calling it “absurd from beginning to end” and a “concocted version of events that nobody supports,” referring to other public witness statements.

Gray said the version of Dorian Johnson, who was with Brown, was more plausible. He said that the only important part of the story was the final few shots fired and that Wilson had to be justified in taking every shot.

“This story just doesn’t even make good nonsense.”

WILSON’S STORY

After he finished with a call for a sick baby, Wilson said, he spotted Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, walking down the middle of Canfield Drive, with traffic passing on both sides.
Wilson asked or ordered the men to move to the sidewalk, said the source, who did not want to be identified because a St. Louis County grand jury and the Department of Justice are still investigating.

Johnson pointed out the pair’s destination, over and behind Wilson’s marked police Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, and kept walking.

Brown walked by holding cigarillos in his hand, and cursed Wilson, the source said.

Wilson told investigators that after Brown passed by, Wilson realized that Johnson’s clothing matched a recent radio alert about a suspect in a robbery at a nearby market where cigarillos had been taken. Wilson radioed for assistance and backed up his SUV to Brown and Johnson.

The source said Wilson told investigators he had placed the SUV in park. When Wilson tried to get out of the SUV, Brown slammed its door shut and punched Wilson in the left side of the face through the open window, the source said.

Wilson, trapped in the front seat, couldn’t use his pepper spray in the confined space because it would incapacitate him as well. His baton was at the back of his utility belt, where he was essentially sitting on it. He did not have a Taser. So he drew his gun.

Brown grabbed the pistol using his right hand, with his elbow against Wilson. Wilson described Brown as incredibly strong, the source said.

During the struggle, Brown handed the cigarillos to Johnson, then swung his left hand and hit Wilson on the right side of the face. Wilson said he almost lost consciousness, the source said. Brown then began to use his left hand in the struggle for the gun, and turned the pistol until the barrel was against Wilson’s hip.

Wilson positioned his finger to try to prevent Brown from reaching the trigger. When Wilson pulled himself back toward the passenger side of the SUV, Brown’s grip loosened enough for Wilson to try to pull the trigger, the source said.

But the gun didn’t fire. Wilson said he believed that Brown’s hand may have been on the hammer, preventing it from moving, the source said.

The second time Wilson pulled the trigger, the gun did fire. Wilson told investigators he thought the bullet had struck Brown in the hand, the source said. Broken window glass was everywhere, and blood was on the door, the gun and Wilson’s hands. At the time, Wilson said, he wasn’t sure whose blood it was.

The struggle continued, and Wilson attempted to pull the trigger twice more. The source said Wilson thought Brown’s hand may have interfered again. Wilson was able to fire a second shot, and Brown ran.

Wilson used his radio to report that shots had been fired and ask for additional cars, but during the struggle, his radio had been switched from the Ferguson channel, the source said.

Wilson said he had gotten out of the SUV and chased Brown.

The source said Wilson did not recall yelling or saying anything then, but Brown had stopped and turned.

Wilson said Brown had not had his hands up; his left hand was slightly out, fingers pointing down. His right hand was grasping his shirt. Then, Wilson told investigators, Brown began running toward him.

Wilson said he had yelled for Brown to stop, then fired, the source said. Brown flinched as if he was hit, and Wilson said he had stopped shooting. Brown continued running toward him, and Wilson said he had fired several more shots. The source said that Wilson had recalled that Brown’s head was down when the last shot hit him there.

When Brown fell to the ground, his forward momentum caused his feet to fly up, Wilson said.

Wilson then made another radio call, for an ambulance.

Later, Wilson drove himself to the police station and was taken to the hospital by other officers. Wilson said he had bruises on the left and right sides of his face and scratches on his neck, the source said. He had no broken bones.

THE AUTOPSY NARRATIVE

Brown’s autopsy documents include a summary from St. Louis County Detective Patrick J. Hokamp’s preliminary investigation. His account was similar to Wilson’s.
The autopsy report, obtained by the Post-Dispatch, also says that Brown had THC, the mind-altering ingredient of marijuana, in his blood and urine. The report says a “leafy green substance” was submitted as evidence, and a person with knowledge of the investigation said the substance was marijuana. That source also said that Brown’s blood and DNA had been found inside the SUV and on Wilson’s gun.

WITNESSES DISAGREE

Most of the witnesses who have spoken publicly saw only a portion of the incident.
Johnson, 22, has said that Wilson used a profanity when he told them to get on the sidewalk, and nearly sideswiped them as he backed up. Wilson opened the door but it bounced off the men, Johnson has said, and Wilson then grabbed Brown by the throat and, later, grabbed him by the arm and tried to pull him into the car. Johnson said that Wilson’s gun had been out and that he had shot Brown once before Brown, who was bleeding, ran away.

Johnson said that Wilson had chased Brown and shot him once before Brown turned around. Johnson said that Wilson had fatally shot Brown as Brown was getting to the ground with his hands in the air.

Several other witnesses have said that Wilson fired at Brown’s fleeing form, perhaps causing Brown to turn when he was some distance from the SUV.

From there, the accounts differ. Their versions have included that Brown stood still, or walked, staggered, stumbled or fell toward Wilson. Some witnesses said Brown’s hands were up; others said they were not. One witness said Wilson was backing away as he fired at Brown.

None quoted in media accounts has said that Brown charged Wilson.

Official autopsy shows Michael Brown had close-range wound to his hand, marijuana in system
ST. LOUIS COUNTY • The official autopsy on Michael Brown shows that he was shot in the hand at close range, according to an analysis of the findings by two experts not involved directly in the case.

The accompanying toxicology report shows he had been using marijuana.

Those documents, prepared by the St. Louis County medical examiner and obtained by the Post-Dispatch, provide the most detailed description to date of the wounds Brown sustained in a confrontation Aug. 9 with Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson.

A source with knowledge of Wilson’s statements said the officer had told investigators that Brown had struggled for Wilson’s pistol inside a police SUV and that Wilson had fired the gun twice, hitting Brown once in the hand. Later, Wilson fired additional shots that killed Brown and ignited a national controversy.

The St. Louis medical examiner, Dr. Michael Graham, who is not part of the official investigation, reviewed the autopsy report for the newspaper. He said Tuesday that it “does support that there was a significant altercation at the car.”

Graham said the examination indicated a shot traveled from the tip of Brown’s right thumb toward his wrist. The official report notes an absence of stippling, powder burns around a wound that indicate a shot fired at relatively short range.

But Graham said, “Sometimes when it’s really close, such as within an inch or so, there is no stipple, just smoke.”

The report on a supplemental microscopic exam of tissue from the thumb wound showed foreign matter “consistent with products that are discharged from the barrel of a firearm.”

Dr. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist in San Francisco, said the autopsy “supports the fact that this guy is reaching for the gun, if he has gunpowder particulate material in the wound.” She added, “If he has his hand near the gun when it goes off, he’s going for the officer’s gun.”

Sources told the Post-Dispatch that Brown’s blood had been found on Wilson’s gun.

Melinek also said the autopsy did not support witnesses who have claimed Brown was shot while running away from Wilson, or with his hands up.

She said Brown was facing Wilson when Brown took a shot to the forehead, two shots to the chest and a shot to the upper right arm. The wound to the top of Brown’s head would indicate he was falling forward or in a lunging position toward the shooter; the shot was instantly fatal.

A sixth shot that hit the forearm traveled from the back of the arm to the inner arm, which means Brown’s palms could not have been facing Wilson, as some witnesses have said, Melinek said. That trajectory shows Brown probably was not taking a standard surrender position with arms above the shoulders and palms out when he was hit, she said.

The county medical examiner, Dr. Mary Case, could not be reached. The assistant who performed the autopsy, Dr. Gershom Norfleet, relayed word that he would not comment.

That post mortem, conducted the morning after Brown’s death, comports in most ways with the findings of a private autopsy arranged by Brown’s family and made public Aug. 18.

In that one, Dr. Michael M. Baden, a nationally known forensic pathologist, said none of Brown’s wounds appeared to have been from shots fired at close range.

Baden noted then that there was no gunshot residue on the body, so it appeared to him that the muzzle of the weapon was at least one or two feet away. He said, “It could have been 30 feet away.”

A third autopsy was ordered by federal officials as part of their separate investigation of the shooting. Results of that one have not been revealed.

The county and private autopsies agree on the number and location of the wounds.

The official autopsy also confirmed that tissue from Brown was found on the exterior of the driver’s side of Wilson’s vehicle.

“Someone got an injury that tore off skin and left it on the car,” Graham said. “That fits with everything else that came out. There’s blood in the car, now skin on the car, that shows something happened right there.”

The toxicology test, performed by a St. Louis University laboratory, revealed tetrahydrocannabinol, THC for short, in Brown’s blood and urine.

Alfred Staubus, a consultant in forensic toxicology at the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, said that THC could impair judgment or slow reaction times but that there was no reliable measurement to make those conclusions.

States that have legalized marijuana have struggled with the issue of how to measure impairment.

“The detection of THC in the postmortem blood of Michael Brown really indicates his recent use of marijuana (within a few hours) and that he may or may not have been impaired at the time of his death,” Staubus wrote in an email.

 cincydooley wrote:
Can you link or just copy/paste some of the social media responses?

 whembly wrote:

If you have it, just look at the trending topics... I'd bet there's something there.

Benjamin L. Crump, a lawyer for the Brown family, said Brown’s family and supporters will not be persuaded by the autopsy report or eyewitness statements that back Wilson’s account of the incident.

“The family has not believed anything the police or this medical examiner has said,” Crump said. “They have their witnesses. We have seven witnesses that we know about that say the opposite.”

Seven or eight African American eyewitnesses have provided testimony consistent with Wilson’s account, but none of them have spoken publicly out of fear for their safety, The Washington Post’s sources said.

One protester put it succinctly: "If there is not an indictment, excuse my French, all hell is going to break loose."

 whembly wrote:
Yeah... there's a lot of speculation that this information was being leaked deliberately... with an okay from Holder's DoJ as they're obviously not going to charge him with any civil rights infractions.

This is done to try letting the Ferguson protesters down easily, to let them know what is coming.

Except... I doubt that'll help at all:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/21/justice/ferguson-protests/index.html

One protester put it succinctly: "If there is not an indictment, excuse my French, all hell is going to break loose."

*whembly planning to restock and preparing to bat down the hatches*

Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson and Michael Brown fought for control of the officer’s gun, and Wilson fatally shot the unarmed teenager after he moved toward the officer as they faced off in the street, according to interviews, news accounts and the full report of the St. Louis County autopsy of Brown’s body.

Because Wilson is white and Brown was black, the case has ignited intense debate over how police interact with African American men. But more than a half-dozen unnamed black witnesses have provided testimony to a St. Louis County grand jury that largely supports Wilson’s account of events of Aug. 9, according to several people familiar with the investigation who spoke with The Washington Post.

Some of the physical evidence — including blood spatter analysis, shell casings and ballistics tests — also supports Wilson’s account of the shooting, The Post’s sources said, which cast Brown as an aggressor who threatened the officer’s life. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they are prohibited from publicly discussing the case.

The grand jury is expected to complete its deliberations next month over whether Wilson broke the law in confronting Brown, and the pending decision appears to be prompting the unofficial release of information about the case and what the jurors have been told.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch late Tuesday night published Brown’s official county autopsy report, an analysis of which also suggests the 18-year-old may not have had his hands raised when he was fatally shot, as has been the contention of protesters who have demanded Wilson’s arrest.

Experts told the newspaper that Brown was first shot at close range and may have been reaching for Wilson’s weapon while the officer was still in his vehicle and Brown was standing at the driver’s side window. The autopsy found material “consistent with products that are discharged from the barrel of a firearm” in a wound on Brown’s thumb, the autopsy says.

Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist in San Francisco who reviewed the report for the Post-Dispatch, said it “supports the fact that this guy is reaching for the gun, if he has gunpowder particulate material in the wound.”

Melinek, who is not involved in the investigation, said the autopsy did not support those who claim Brown was attempting to flee or surrender when Wilson shot him in the street.

Benjamin L. Crump, a lawyer for the Brown family, said Brown’s family and supporters will not be persuaded by the autopsy report or eyewitness statements that back Wilson’s account of the incident.

“The family has not believed anything the police or this medical examiner has said,” Crump said. “They have their witnesses. We have seven witnesses that we know about that say the opposite.”

Crump also said one of the reasons the family and protesters were opposed to a grand jury proceeding was because it gives authorities too much control over what the public would learn about the case, as evidenced by the leaks.

“The family wanted a jury trial that was transparent, not one done in secrecy, not something that they believe is an attempt to sweep their son’s death under the rug,” he said.

Wilson’s lawyer, James P. Towey Jr., did not return a call seeking comment.

Seven or eight African American eyewitnesses have provided testimony consistent with Wilson’s account, but none of them have spoken publicly out of fear for their safety, The Washington Post’s sources said.

The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI are investigating the shooting, and evidence gathered by both agencies is being presented to the grand jury, which started meeting in mid-August and is expected to conclude its work early next month.

The evidence the grand jury is reviewing is voluminous. From the beginning, St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch decided jurors would hear and review all credible and reliable evidence, including testimony from each eyewitness.

Jurors have also been provided with the St. Louis County autopsy report, including toxicology test results for Brown that show he had levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. The Post’s sources said the levels in Brown’s body may have been high enough to trigger hallucinations.

The county police, the FBI and the Justice Department all declined to comment on the information The Washington Post received regarding testimony and evidence in the case.

“The independent federal investigation into the shooting of Michael Brown is ongoing,” said Dena Iverson, a Justice Department spokeswoman. “We will not comment on irresponsible leaks and rumors about the status of the investigation.”

Tim Fitch, a former St. Louis County Police Chief, said there are benefits to leaking crucial information to the public ahead of a grand jury announcement.

“I think it’s good to get some accurate information out there. That way on game day, it’s not a surprise to people,” said Fitch, who retired last year from the county police department, which is now conducting the investigation into Wilson.

Ed Magee, McCulloch’s spokesman, said the leaks won’t stop the deliberations.
“We will continue to present evidence to the grand jury, and our office is not responsible for these leaks.”

During his testimony before the grand jury last month, Wilson told jurors the encounter with Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson began when he ordered the two men to stop walking in the street and get onto the sidewalk.

Things quickly escalated, Wilson told jurors, with Brown shouting an expletive at him and refusing to move to the sidewalk. In August, a lawyer for Johnson said the officer used profanity in ordering them onto the sidewalk.

The Post sources interviewed in recent days said Wilson testified that he stopped his police SUV and opened the door to approach Brown, but the 18-year-old used both hands to slam the door shut, trapping him in his patrol vehicle. Brown then reached through the open window and began to repeatedly punch the officer in the face, Wilson testified.

The officer said he reached for his gun to defend himself, but Brown grabbed it and only let go after it fired twice. Two casings from Wilson’s gun were recovered from the police SUV, the sources said.

After he was shot in the altercation at the vehicle, Brown fled with Johnson, and Wilson testified that he ordered Brown to stop and lower himself to the ground. Instead, Brown turned and moved toward the officer. Wilson said he feared Brown, who was 6-foot-4 and weighed nearly 300 pounds, would overpower him so he repeatedly fired his gun.

Brown was shot at least six times, according to all three autopsies that have been conducted.

The Post-Dispatch, in a story published early Wednesday on Wilson’s account of the incident, cited a single “source with knowledge of his statements” in providing additional details. The story said that Wilson testified that during the struggle at the SUV, Brown pressed the barrel of his gun against the officer’s hip and attempted to prevent Wilson from reaching the trigger of his gun. According to Wilson’s testimony, the Post-Dispatch said, Brown was running toward Wilson when he was fatally shot and that his hands were not up.

The source also told the newspaper that Wilson told jurors he was trapped in the front seat and couldn’t use his pepper spray to subdue Brown because it would have also incapacitated him. His baton was also out of reach, at the back of his utility belt, pinned between his body and the seat. He also did not have a Taser, so he drew his gun, the Post-Dispatch reported.

The autopsy says that Brown was shot in the forehead, twice in the chest and once in the upper right arm. The fatal wound on top of Brown’s head indicates that he was leaning or falling forward and the path of a sixth shot, which hit Brown’s forearm and traveled from the back of his arm to his inner arm, means Brown’s palms were not facing Wilson in an act of surrender, according to analysts cited by the Post-Dispatch.

In interviews with The Washington Post, sources said blood spatter evidence shows that Brown was heading toward the officer during their face-off, but analysis of the evidence did not reveal how fast Brown was moving.

Wilson’s testimony conflicts with several public accounts.

According to Dorian Johnson, after Wilson ordered them out of the street, he put his vehicle in reverse and opened the front door so forcefully that it bounced against the two men.

Johnson has said that Wilson, while still in the SUV, grabbed Brown by his collar. Brown was trying to free himself and never tried to get the gun, Johnson said. Wilson drew his gun and threatened to shoot, then it went off, he said. Johnson and Brown then ran.

“He shot again and once my friend felt that shot he turned around and put his hands in the air and started to get down, and the officer still approached with his weapon drawn and fired several more shots,” Johnson told CBS News in an interview.

Several other witnesses gave media interviews saying they saw activity at the vehicle, but each said they were unclear about the nature of that encounter. They have offered varied though fundamentally similar versions of what happened afterward. Brown, witnesses said, was fleeing when Wilson opened fire on the street. After being hit by a bullet, Brown turned around with his hands up, trying to surrender, when the officer shot him several more times, they said.

Exactly how high Brown’s hands were has been inconsistent in the accounts, and at least one witness said that after Brown was shot, he appeared to take a step toward Wilson. That witness said, however, Brown had his arms around his stomach before hitting the ground.

Protests erupted after the shooting, when demonstrators squared off against police who used tear gas and rubber-coated bullets to try to disperse crowds. Images of police patrolling the streets during the day and clashing with demonstrators at night shocked many and drew concern from the White House and some Washington lawmakers.

The grand jury proceedings are unusual. Typically in a grand jury case, the lead investigator will provide an overview of his findings and perhaps one or two witnesses will testify.

However, McCulloch decided from the beginning that the grand jury in this case would sort through all the evidence. And, instead of telling grand jury members what charges they believe Wilson should face, prosecutors are involving the grand jury as co-investigators.

Justin Moyer, Lindsey Bever and Alice Crites contributed to this report.

 whembly wrote:
Thanks ya'll... I'll be fine. I live in an obscure part of town.

 CptJake wrote:

 whembly wrote:
Thanks ya'll... I'll be fine. I live in an obscure part of town.

Got to get Sublime's 'April 26 1992' playing loud and get in the mood.

Untruth and Consequences in Ferguson
We’re only now starting to learn what happened the day Michael Brown was shot. But how much will the truth really matter at this point?
It’s time we admit something: Increasingly, it’s starting to look like Officer Darren Wilson acted appropriately that fateful day in Ferguson.

Now, until now, I have not weighed in on the Michael Brown shooting—except peripherally. I wrote about how it made conservatives lose faith in the police, discussed the temptation for journalists to become part of the story they are covering, and suggested the media’s incessant coverage might have fanned the Ferguson flames.

But even for someone like me—a commentator whose job description includes prematurely weighing in on any issue that captures the nation’s attention—the fundamental question of culpability was never an easy one. It always felt like a “he said he said” situation—with ideological tribalism, not evidence, guiding us to assume our positions on our respective sides.

So I avoided it.

Frankly, we still don’t know enough to say conclusively what happened the day Brown was shot. But it’s no longer absurd to speculate. As the official autopsy report obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch demonstrates, Brown was shot in the hand at close range—with gunpowder residue in the wound. Both findings seem to buttresses Wilson’s contention that there was a struggle over the officer’s pistol. Additionally, a forensic pathologist interviewed by the paper noted that “the autopsy did not support witnesses who have claimed Brown was shot while running away from Wilson, or with his hands up.”

And there’s more: The Washington Post is now reporting that “more than a half-dozen unnamed black witnesses have provided testimony to a St. Louis County grand jury that largely supports Wilson’s account of events of Aug. 9,” according to “several people familiar with the investigation.”

Again, there are lingering questions, to be sure, but mounting evidence suggests this this case is much more complex than many previously thought. But let me get this straight: Two and a half months after the shooting and the protests and the rioting, we are just now starting to find out what really happened? And the only reason we’re finding this out now is that it was leaked?

There were always a few poking holes in the image of a Brown as a “gentle giant," but the dominant media narrative—which, in fairness, was buttressed by witness accounts—seemed to be that he was murdered in cold blood, with his hands up, for the crime of being black. There were, of course, attempts to debunk this—and leaks to tarnish his image—but those voices were mostly overshadowed by a media that was in many cases had already admittedly sided with the protesters.

Now, the obvious thing for me to do here is to go all Shep Smith on you and shame the media for hyping and prejudging this case—for prematurely reporting on rumor and innuendo and helping stoke unrest. And that would be a valid, if pointless, thing for me to do.

But perhaps we can find a way to avoid this from happening again. I think the first obvious thing we can do is videotape every police interaction—body cams, in-car cameras—you name it. And declassify them. Video solves a lot of mysteries. We don’t know what happened to Bristol Palin, but we do know what happened to Ray Rice’s wife.

And rather than viewing it as a violation of privacy, police officers should welcome this development. Because, here’s the thing: There are a lot of good ethical and practical reasons why the police can’t really defend themselves in the court of public opinion—at least, not adequately. First, since they should always ostensibly be on the side of finding the truth, police PR campaigns create an obvious conflict of interest, making it look like they are engaged in the Blue Code of Silence. Additionally, any information they release could potentially poison a jury pool. I could go on…

This puts the police at an obvious disadvantage. Maybe in the old days, you could afford to wait a few months and let the process take care of itself—allow the slow wheels of justice grind on. But one gets the sense that this is impractical in the era of Twitter and 24-7 news coverage. Shutting up is a bad idea. You see this a lot when individuals who are accused of something decide to clam up, often under the advice of their attorney. When people accused of something make smart legal decisions, they are often also making very unwise public relations decisions. And I think the same thing applies to this situation.

The truth is that first impressions matter. In politics, once one candidate “defines’ the other candidate (before he can define himself) it’s nearly impossible to change the narrative. It’s game over. Once people believe something, they are disinclined to change their minds—even when overwhelming evidence suggests they should. But in the court of law these, initial perceptions matter little. Darren Wilson might have been convicted in the court of public opinion, but all that matters to the law is that—if he’s innocent—he should be be exonerated (or, in this case, simply not prosecuted) once the evidence is shown.

In the real world, however, public opinion does matter—and not just for Officer Wilson. People who believe the original narrative that was repeated ad nauseam back in August might not trust the newly-revealed evidence—or (and this speaks to the media’s culpability) might not even learn about the recent findings, which haven’t garnered nearly as much attention as the story was getting back in August and September. And how will the people who still believe Brown was murdered in cold blood react if Wilson gets off scot-free?

Keep in mind that retroactive facts and evidence arguably matter less than first impressions—especially if we don’t vigorously push back on false narratives. And so, as Jonah Goldberg notes, the story we were originally told about Brown’s shooting “will live on for decades to come. That’s in no small part because many decent Americans have locked themselves into the belief that the heroic chapter of the civil-rights movement can never end. The story must go on so they can continue to cast themselves as the heroes.”

Regardless of whether or not officer Wilson is cleared, the original narrative will likely shape the context regarding how the next incident—and there’s always a next incident—is framed and perceived. And many—if not most minds—Michael Brown will always be a gentle giant.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Honest Question. Ok, So, All Forensics support the cop tesitmony.

But not Witness Statements. All which are the same "He had his hands up, running away"

What is with them them. How could they have all seen the same thing that DIDNT happen?? Conspiracy or something?

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

What is with them them. How could they have all seen the same thing that DIDNT happen?? Conspiracy or something?

 whembly wrote:

Incorrect, about a half of dozen blacks witnesses under oath actually supported officer Wilson's account.

The mother of Michael Brown could be charged with felony armed robbery for allegedly attacking people in a Ferguson, Mo., parking lot because they were selling T-shirts honoring the late teenager.

The Ferguson Police Department is currently investigating claims that Lesley McSpadden brought a group of people — including her own mother — to beat vendors and rob them of their “Justice for Mike Brown” merchandise Oct. 18, The Smoking Gun has learned.

One person was hospitalized in the reported attack and another unidentified alleged victim was reportedly beaten with a pipe.

McSpadden’s former mother-in-law, Pearlie Gordon, was among those beaten by “a large group of about 20-30 subjects” who had “jumped out of vehicles and rushed” the group of sellers, according to the police report.
A grand jury is deliberating whether to bring charges against the Ferguson, Mo., police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, pictured. Big'mike Jr Brown via Facebook A grand jury is deliberating whether to bring charges against the Ferguson, Mo., police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, pictured.

Gordon, 54, was allegedly knocked to the ground and repeatedly struck in the head. She detailed the brief exchange she had with McSpadden at the time of the attack.

“You can’t sell this s**t,” McSpadden allegedly said, according to the report.

Gordon responded that “unless McSpadden could produce documentation stating that she had a patent on her son’s name (Gordon) was going to continue to sell her merchandise,” according to the report.
Countless T-shirts and other 'Justice for Michael Brown' merchandise are being sold online. Similar items were allegedly stolen by Brown's mother and others. Amazon Countless T-shirts and other 'Justice for Michael Brown' merchandise are being sold online. Similar items were allegedly stolen by Brown's mother and others.

More than $1500 in merchandise and $400 in cash was allegedly stolen by the attackers.

Once the investigation is finished, Ferguson police will decide whether to charge McSpadden and the others with felony armed robbery.

The news comes as a grand jury is expected to announce whether to bring criminal charges against the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot Brown during a confrontation.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
I guess the tree isn't too far from the apple.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
It makes me question her sanity
"Hey, my son is being portrayed as a violent thug, let's do some thing that shows where he got it from"