Category Archives: Michael Brown – Ferguson
Stranger Fruit – A Must See Documentary That Unravels What Happened To Mike Brown
On August 9th, 2014 an unarmed 18-year-old named Michael Brown was killed by Ferguson, MO Officer Darren Wilson. Michael’s death became viral news and sparked protests for him worldwide. Mike’s death also sparked a great deal of division and controversy. Ferguson looked like a police state with the presence of the National Guard.
Sometime ago, I remember seeing on Twitter about the discovery of another video of Mike Brown in the convenience store. I also remember various criticisms of the video and of the person who released it, even one that said the man who released the video was trying to promote his “book”.
As a blogger who has followed cases, I will tell anyone that it’s very difficult to convey in writing what is on video. It is more difficult when what the video shows is being disputed. Videos need to be presented in order for eyes to see. As a journalism professor once told our class, “Show. Don’t tell.”
The documentary Stranger Fruit, shows. That doesn’t only apply to an additional video not released to the public during investigations into Mike’s death. It also applies throughout the various interviews. It shows what is being discussed. Read the rest of this entry
Ferguson Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed By Michael Brown’s Parents
Michael Brown
In 2015, Michael Brown Sr. and Lesley McSpadden, the parents of 18-year Michael Brown, filed a suit against the city of Ferguson, MO, the former Police Chief Tom Jackson and former police officer Darren Wilson. Today, the city settled that lawsuit.
Terms of the wrongful death settlement were not disclosed. United States District Court Judge E. Richard Webber approved the settlement and ordered it sealed, writing;
“The gross settlement amount is fair and reasonable compensation for this wrongful death claim and is in the best interests of each plaintiff.”
In 2014, Michael Brown was shot multiple times, with the fatal wound being to the top of his head, spilling his brains onto the street. His body laid in the street for more than 4 hours. A grand jury failed to indict Darren Wilson, and the DOJ began a probe that found systematic racial discrimination in Ferguson that targeted Black residents and created a “toxic environment.” The report said the city overwhelmingly arrested and issued traffic citations to Blacks to boost city income, and used the police as a collection agency. Read the rest of this entry
Being color brave
Wonderful and written from the human heart of divine wisdom. You put many things in words that I’ve found difficult to express. Thank you, Deborah.
Michael Brown’s Friend Files Lawsuit and Grand Juror’s Suit is Dismissed
Dorian Johnson
Dorian Johnson, the man who was with Michael Brown when they encountered Darren Wilson who killed Michael, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Ferguson, former Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, and former police officer Darren Wilson. Dorian filed suit in the St. Louis County Circuit Court. Dorian’s complaint alleges constitutional violations, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It mentions many of the Justice Department’s findings. Click here for the lawsuit. It can also be found on the right-side border of this blog under “Documents.” Read the rest of this entry
Man Charged In The Shooting of Police Officers In Ferguson
Jeffrey Williams
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch identified the suspect as 20-year old Jeffery Williams. McCulloch said Williams was arrested Saturday night and acknowledged his participation in firing the shots. A 40mm handgun tied to the attack was recovered.
Williams is charged with two counts of first-degree assault, one count of firing a weapon from a vehicle, and three counts of armed criminal action. McCulloch stated that Williams is not a resident of Ferguson and may not have been aiming at police officers. McCulloch did stated that regardless of the intended targets, the charges would be the same.
Here’s McCulloch’s News Briefing;
Justice Department – Ferguson Police Department Routinely Violates Constitution and Federal Law.
USA Today reports;
“A Justice Department review has found that the troubled Ferguson Police Department engaged in a pattern of racially biased enforcement during suspect stops and used unreasonable force against a disproportionate number of African American suspects, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the findings.”
Ferguson Chief of Police Thomas Jackson
The results of the investigation were detailed in a meeting between Ferguson and Justice Department officials on Tuesday. The full report should be released by tomorrow.
The Black population in Ferguson is 67%. However, the Justice Department conducted an investigation that covered 3 years, and found that 85% of people involved in vehicle stops were Black; 90% who received tickets were Black, and 93% of those arrested were Black. Were they all guilty? No. The Justice Department found that police in Ferguson routinely made arrests without probable cause. Blacks were twice as likely to be searched during vehicle stops but less likely to be found in possession of contraband. Read the rest of this entry
When Words Of Comfort Don’t Seem To Be Enough
Just some thoughts on this dreary, cold day.
It is hard when loved ones die from disease or old age. It is horrible when loved ones die from an accident. It is devastating when loved ones are killed by others. Those left behind always seem to have a feeling of guilt, but that’s mainly from being helpless. I’ve said on this blog many times that death does not discriminate. It doesn’t care about age, gender, or the color of skin. Money might buy medical care to extend life, but it cannot bribe death when the time comes. That sense of helplessness runs deep.
When loved ones are killed, people look to the justice system. The only comfort that comes from that is the sense of juries and judges acknowledging right from wrong. However, what juries hear and see is painted by their own hearts and minds. People are not computers programmed to process data without bias.
There are times when there are no words sufficient in bringing comfort to the hurting, to those who have lost loved ones, the ill, the tired. There are times when I feel that there must be more – something I can do, and not merely say. If I had the power of resurrection, I would walk through the hospitals, the morgue, the graveyards, calling out names and saying, “Come forth.”
Today, because I feel that there are no words sufficient to directly comfort the living, I will address their loved ones who have gone on. Read the rest of this entry
Black History Month – History of Black Police Officers in St. Louis MO
The video is a bit over 20 minutes, and is jam-packed with history and information, including interviews and photographs. After watching it, it brought revelation as to why the St. Louis police department made changes in who it appointed to oversee law enforcement during the Ferguson, MO protests after the police came out as a militarized occupying force.. That attitude goes back in history.
Putting Victims on Trial
Shannoninmiami submitted the following comment:
“Yahtzee,
That is such an awesome idea- videos of the victim before the killer &co vilify them. but then I remember xena telling me a long time ago, that the victim is not on trial,
they don’t need to defend themselves! isn’t that some BS??@!! because I remember thinking of course, that makes perfect sense or THEY WOULDN’T BE the VICTIM, they’d be the DEFENDANT!that’s true technically but things have changed. the media & the legal profession seem to be devolving into game show like entertainment sources. the ones who used to respect & speak for the victims aren’t really doing that in certain cases.
victims aren’t treated as victims. but in order for a dead victim to have a fair chance at justice they gotta be the victim.Maybe we need a sort of special victim’s defense team who can speak out on the victim’s behalf and counter attack the killer’s allegations.
look at cases like Mike Brown & Trayvon where racist character assassination is used as a defense for murder, literally.
it seems anything goes, even fantastic stories of dead teenagers with super human strength and magical powers”
Thank you Shannon, for bringing up this subject. Today, the media and internet have changed things to where many people no longer think logically. In fact, the double-minded man is revealed more today because of the internet, and we see this when people place victims on trial.
I would like to share a portion of how I came to understand that victims are not on trial.
On December 1, 1958, Our Lady of Angels School in Chicago caught fire, killing 93 children and 3 nuns. Some of the children that died were my age. I remember seeing the photographs of those who died on television and in the newspaper that my dad brought home with him from work. So many children.
In my child, inquisitive mind, I asked my Sunday School teacher if the children had done anything wrong to die so young and by fire. My thoughts were somewhat along the lines of Santa Claus giving presents only to children who were good.
Victims of Richard Speck
The next I remember hearing of massive death came by Richard Speck, who on July 13, 1966, killed 8 nursing students in Chicago. There was talk in the beauty shops and meat market. Rumors were passed about the immorality of the nursing students and some people disagreed that White nursing students should have shared living quarters with nursing students from the Philippines. It left me puzzled. How could those nursing students be responsible for their own deaths and why accuse the lone survivor, who was from the Philippines, of conspiring with Speck? Read the rest of this entry
Ferguson Grand Juror Sues Robert McCulloch
Robert McCulloch
It’s on the basis that Robert McCulloch’s “public characterization” of the grand jury does not reflect the juror’s own views.
Talking point memo reports that the juror is anonymous, and
“In [the grand juror]’s view, the current information available about the grand jurors’ views is not entirely accurate — especially the implication that all grand jurors believed that there was no support for any charges,” the lawsuit says, per the news outlet. “Moreover, the public characterization of the grand jurors’ view of witnesses and evidence does not accord with [Doe]’s own.”
The juror is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri. It asks the court for an injunction that would allow the juror to speak publicly about the Darren Wilson case, who killed Michael Brown.
A Glance At Key Police Shootings In The St. Louis Area
The Huffington Post
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The shooting death of 18-year-old Antonio Martin marks the third fatal shooting of a young black man by a white police officer in the St. Louis area since Michael Brown was killed in August.
Here’s a glance at the circumstances in each case:
___
MICHAEL BROWN
Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, was shot and killed shortly after noon Aug. 9 following an apparent scuffle in the middle of the street with Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson at his police vehicle. Brown’s body lay there for hours as police investigated and an angry crowd of onlookers gathered. Several days of tense protests that sometimes turned violent followed in the predominantly black suburb, prompting Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to call in the National Guard. St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch decided to present the case to a grand jury rather than appoint a special prosecutor.
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Ferguson Prosecutor Admits His Handling of the Grand Jury in the Darren Wilson Case Was Not Normal
Ferguson Prosecutor Bob McCulloch appeared on a radio interview and admitted that his handling of the grand jury in the Darren Wilson case was not “normal.”
McGraw Milhaven asked the right questions. The excellent video is a bit over 27 minutes, so I won’t write more so you can have time to watch. Please, don’t miss the part towards the end where McCulloch believes that because he did not previously charge police officers for killing unarmed citizens, that it proves he was fair in accessing the Darren Wilson case.
Witness 40-Only One Example Of Why The Rage From Ferguson Still Burns A Hole In U.S.
Why don’t you tell us how you really feel? 🙂 Reblogging. It’s info that people need to know. Thanks for blogging it.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/unmasking-Ferguson-witness-40-496236
There are NUMEROUS question marks about supposed eyewitness testimony in this case. The words of this direct result of first cousin copulation are meaningless, especially since she wasn’t even present. Sandra McElroy, if you have to write notes to yourself, begging yourself, to stop calling African-Americans the “N” word-your credibility means nothing, and what is in your heart=is even worth less.
Apparently, the false testimony of an absent, racist redneck weighs heavier than that of someone ACTUALLY present.
“I’z was thar, even doe, it took my ignorant, inbred arse over 4 weeks to realize=I’ze weren’t really thar.”
The whole situation in Ferguson reeks of the level of ineptitude and ignorance for which, there exists no reasonable explanation. Ignorant people blindly believe there was no favoritism shown toward Darren Wilson. Despite being in the fight of his life with a demonic “Hulk,” he showed “David Banner” type injuries at…
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Federal Judge Grants Temporary Restraining Order Against Use of Tear Gas
On Thursday, Federal Judge Carol E. Jackson of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, entered a temporary restraining order against defendants Chief Jon Belmar of the St. Louis County Police, Chief D. Samuel Dotson III of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police and Capt. Ronald S. Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Judge Jackson ordered that tear gas cannot be used to disperse legal gatherings and that the police must give clear warnings before deploying tear gas. The judge also ruled that the police must take steps to minimize the effect on those following orders and ensure that people have a “safe egress from the area.”
The matter was filed by six plaintiffs who also asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order requiring the police to wear “clearly visible personal identification” when responding to protests, and for the police to adhere to the law when deciding whether a protest constitutes illegal assembly.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2015.
Spokesman Who Attacked Rams’ Ferguson Protest Was Fired From Police Job in 2001 for Misconduct
It looks like the most recent agenda of those such as Roorda is to attack the employment of people who they don’t like.
The Rams players’ pregame protest. | CBS Screenshot
Salon
After several members of the St. Louis Rams NFL team made a “hands up” gesture of solidarity with Ferguson protesters before the team’s home game yesterday, a group called the St. Louis Police Officers Association issued a statement criticizing the players. The group’s statement quoted its business manager, Jeff Roorda:
The SLPOA is calling for the players involved to be disciplined and for the Rams and the NFL to deliver a very public apology. Roorda said he planned to speak to the NFL and the Rams to voice his organization’s displeasure tomorrow. He also plans to reach out to other police organizations in St. Louis and around the country to enlist their input on what the appropriate response from law enforcement should be. Roorda warned, “I know that there are those that will say that these players are…
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Injustice in Ferguson Missouri Simply Explained
This is the face of a killer
Darren Wilson
This is the killer’s accomplice
Robert McCullouch
These are their victims
The Final Moments Of Michael Brown’s Life Look Very Different, Depending Whom You Talk To
There was a lot of information released in that “data dump” and it took time to go through it. Thanks for the breakdown.
Thank you Ben Hallman 
They may have had some conflicting accounts but I’m counting…
Did Brown charge Wilson? 10 NO
Did Brown charge Wilson? 5 Yes
Were Brown’s hands up? 9 YES
Were Brown’s hands up? 2 No’s
According to my calculations
Did Brown charge Wilson? 5 more said NO
Were Brown’s hands up? 7 more said YES
In his final moments of life, Michael Brown charged toward Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, shrugging off warnings to stop and seeming to ignore at least one bullet that wounded him, while reaching to his waistband as if to pull a weapon.
.
Or, he sank to his knees, raised his hands and shouted, “please don’t shoot me.”
Wilson shot and killed Brown on a suburban Missouri street on a Saturday afternoon. Nearly two dozen people said they saw the events unfold. Yet when asked to describe the last, crucial seconds before…
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Grand Jury Does Not Indict Darren Wilson
On August 9, 2014, Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown in broad daylight. The most that the public has received by way of verified evidence is that Michael was shot at least 6 times, with the kill shot fired in the top of his head.
Eyewitnesses are consistent, reporting that Michael had his hands up as Darren Wilson fired and continued firing.
A grand jury began seeing and hearing evidence and when their session expired, the judge extended their time until January 2015. Strangely, Darren Wilson was invited to testify before the grand jury and it was reported that he testified 4 hours. Read the rest of this entry
Anita Smithey Convicted of Second Degree Murder
Anita Smithey
It’s a case that did not get much attention outside of the Florida. In or about April 2012 after George Zimmerman was charged with second degree murder for killing unarmed 17-year old Trayvon Martin, I began researching stand your ground cases in Florida. Smithey’s case was one of several that caught my attention, along with the cases of John Orr, and Trevor Dooley.
On May 4, 2010, Smithey shot and killed Robert Cline III, her estranged husband. She claimed that he was raping her after they had consensual sex, and cut her throat and stabbed her in the side. Smithey claimed that she shot Robert once in the chest. The medical examiner however, said that there were two entrance wounds. Read the rest of this entry
We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident 