St Louis police murder scandal (PLUS: riots, idiotic press conferences, etc.)

[Paul Kemp]

Steals cigars and candy from a convenience store, physically threatens the owner... SHOOT HIM TO DEATH

Obviously robbing a gas station doesn't justify execution, but if it's true it makes me a lot more inclined to believe the policeman's story.

At the very least, the friend/also criminal's account wouldn't be very credible anymore.

What is the officer's story exactly, though?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Steals cigars and candy from a convenience store, physically threatens the owner... SHOOT HIM TO DEATH

Obviously robbing a gas station doesn't justify execution, but if it's true it makes me a lot more inclined to believe the policeman's story.

At the very least, the friend/also criminal's account wouldn't be very credible anymore.

What is the officer's story exactly, though?

Something about Brown trying to grab for his gun or something.

[7,052,770]

Steals cigars and candy from a convenience store, physically threatens the owner... SHOOT HIM TO DEATH

Obviously robbing a gas station doesn't justify execution, but if it's true it makes me a lot more inclined to believe the policeman's story.

At the very least, the friend/also criminal's account wouldn't be very credible anymore.

What is the officer's story exactly, though?

From the best I've heard, it's that Brown initiated a fight and tried to take the officer's gun and the cop killed him in self-defense.

If Brown was a criminal walking away from a crime, it makes the officer's story more plausible. Brown may have thought he was about to be arrested and paniced.

[Simfan34]

Uh, erm, wow.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Even if Brown did everything what he's accused of, it brought some serious problems into the spotlight (aside from the fact that he still didn't deserve to die):

1) Majority black towns with all-white police forces and all-white city administrations as if we were still in 1955 Alabama. (And there's also things like this statistic that St. Louis County Police happens to stop black drivers twice as often for traffic control as they do white drivers.)

2) Police militarization taken to insane levels and police forces who see crowds of average citizens as security threats.

[Paul Kemp]

Uh, erm, wow.

?

[Tender Branson]

Even if Brown did everything what he's accused of, it brought some serious problems into the spotlight (aside from the fact that he still didn't deserve to die):

1) Majority black towns with all-white police forces and all-white city administrations as if we were still in 1955 Alabama. (And there's also things like this statistic that St. Louis County Police happens to stop black drivers twice as often for traffic control as they do white drivers.)

2) Police militarization taken to insane levels and police forces who see crowds of average citizens as security threats.

The first part of 2) is correct, but the bolded part is pretty much true of everywhere else as well, see Stuttgart 21, in which the police also used to be quite brutal. Or Istanbul, or Kiew, etc.

[Middle-aged Europe]

The first part of 2) is correct, but the bolded part is pretty much true of everywhere else as well, see Stuttgart 21, in which the police also used to be quite brutal. Or Istanbul, or Kiew, etc.

That's true even though in these cases a decision had been made by the respective political leadership that the police shall act in such a brutal manner. Even in Stuttgart, it was Stefan Mappus' call that the gloves should come off. The police didn't act on its own initiative.

So, the question is to what extent the Mayor of Ferguson or the St. Louis County Executive bear responsebility for the police's conduct.

[Beet]

From what I gather, the story is that the police officer, tipped off to a nearby robbery, drove up to Brown and his friend, shouted obscenities, and attempted to open the door. Brown pushed back on the door and stopped the officer from exiting his vehicle. Brown and the officer then got into a physical confrontation with the officer inside the car and Brown outside of it. During which time, they tussled over the officer's gun until the gun went off. At that point, Brown breaks away and tries running from the vehicle. The officer fires his gun and grazes Brown. Brown, realizing he is caught, stops and puts his hands up, but the officer at this point continues to shoot, killing Brown. Brown is in the wrong until the very end, at which point the officer is in the wrong.

It is only what happens at the very end that disturbs me. An unarmed guy standing 10 or 20 feet away, who is surrendering, should not be shot execution style. There is still a lot of unreleased information out there, but this is the element the police haven't explained.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Steals cigars and candy from a convenience store, physically threatens the owner... SHOOT HIM TO DEATH

Yes, I'm... not sure how that one works either. But then Harry is a Mississippi Whitey.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Steals cigars and candy from a convenience store, physically threatens the owner... SHOOT HIM TO DEATH

Yes, I'm... not sure how that one works either. But then Harry is a Mississippi Whitey.

Never mind all the civil rights abuses that have happened in the town over the protests since, either.

[7,052,770]

Steals cigars and candy from a convenience store, physically threatens the owner... SHOOT HIM TO DEATH

Yes, I'm... not sure how that one works either. But then Harry is a Mississippi Whitey.

? I never said the shooting was justified,  just that Americans aren't going to be sympathetic anymore.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Yeah, unfortunately this is going to extinguish this very quickly. Still, no one will consider the fact that he was (supposedly?) shot seven times. The officer will almost certainly get either paid leave or some type of leave. He'll also receive much more support.

Also, coincidentally enough, the officer who shot Michael Brown just so happens to have the same name as another (black) officer who works with the St.Louis PD.

Darren Wilson is the President of the Ethical Society of Police and has tried to ease racial tensions in the city.

Edit: And I do believe that it is Michael Brown in the video stills, as this still from a video taken of him after he had been shot and killed seems to match the clothing:

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQoJGST140nrHKET2OLhWzI3gsLKpf-XJ4DhlqMXX9_ima5NvM

(Please be warned: the above image is graphic.)

[Lief 🗽]

Unfortunately, if you are black or brown, attempted shoplifting is a very serious crime in Apartheid America. The only reasonable response by the brave white policeman was to execute him in the street.

Of course if he had been a white attempted shoplifter, he would be put into a fancy shoplifting rehab program.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Steals cigars and candy from a convenience store, physically threatens the owner... SHOOT HIM TO DEATH

Yes, I'm... not sure how that one works either. But then Harry is a Mississippi Whitey.

? I never said the shooting was justified,  just that Americans aren't going to be sympathetic anymore.

"Americans"?

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Hey guys.........what time does it say on the stills from the convenience store?

[Paul Kemp]

Hey guys.........what time does it say on the stills from the convenience store?

Get off tumblr/Reddit.

[Paul Kemp]

The officer didn't know Brown was a robbery suspect when he stopped him.

Video of the convenience store has been released.

[King]

The officer didn't know Brown was a robbery suspect when he stopped him.

Video of the convenience store has been released.

I enjoy the tweet to ABC by the guy who says "it's MH370 all over again."

The Internet has some terrific minds on it.

[Simfan34]

Unfortunately, if you are black or brown, attempted shoplifting is a very serious crime in Apartheid America. The only reasonable response by the brave white policeman was to execute him in the street.

Of course if he had been a white attempted shoplifter, he would be put into a fancy shoplifting rehab program.

Not to mention assault.

This man speaks the truth

"Change is not going to come until we change it."

[Lief 🗽]

That man speaks a lot of nonsense, none of it "the truth."

Someone apparently live-tweeted Michael Brown's murder, along with some pictures of the scene. Seems legitimate.

Also this is great: Vox: How we'd cover Ferguson if it happened in another country.

[Cassius]

So, basically, this man was a petty criminal. Can people stop trying to deify him as Christ's second coming please. Though, of course, that still doesn't mean that the officer should have shot him in the back (if I'm correct?).

[Simfan34]

That article is nowhere near as good as what Slate was doing with their "if it happened there" series.

Example:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2014/05/15

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.vox.com/2014/8/15/6005587/ferguson-satire-another-country-russia-china

[Keystone Phil]

Is it time for RP to leave the Forum again? God, I hope so.

[Paul Kemp]

Unfortunately, if you are black or brown, attempted shoplifting is a very serious crime in Apartheid America. The only reasonable response by the brave white policeman was to execute him in the street.

Of course if he had been a white attempted shoplifter, he would be put into a fancy shoplifting rehab program.

Not to mention assault.

This man speaks the truth

"Change is not going to come until we change it."

He said literally nothing in that video.