Racist Police Response to Ferguson Protests

[bono_212]

I've always been a tiny bit uncomfortable with the idea that every job has to exactly match demographics. In the police force, I can see where that is entirely something that needs to happen, because there needs to be a feeling of equality in the place where law and order are supposed to reign. But, my dad is a fireman and I've heard all too often about them being forced to hire a minority into a new position, when one opens, rather than the person most qualified for the job and in a position like that, that scares me. These are the guys that are, you know, saving lives throughout the city. The quota system might be a good idea, in theory, but when good employees are passed over in favor of filling a number system, that doesn't sit right with me.



Anyways,

What was up with that air traffic ban they temporarily had over the city? Were people really shooting at police helicopters?

[cobl04]

As usual, The Onion says it best Tips For Being An Unarmed Black Teen | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

[AEON]

Michael Brown named suspect in robbery that happened before shooting | KMOV.com St. Louis

[elevated_u2_fan]

oh, well, it's ok to shoot him dead in the street then. Phew, glad all that is over now.

[prbiker15]

Originally Posted by AEON

Michael Brown named suspect in robbery that happened before shooting | KMOV.com St. Louis

Interesting.

[AEON]

Originally Posted by elevated_u2_fan

oh, well, it's ok to shoot him dead in the street then. Phew, glad all that is over now.

I am going to guess more of the story will be available soon. It seems the officer was treated for injuries after the incident:
Darren Wilson: Ferguson police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown identified - CBS News

I think the police department should have released some of this information sooner. It may have helped nip the controversy in the bud. There still may have been "some" protests...but people have a hard time rallying behind a man that just committed robbery and injured a cop moments before he was shot.

[BoMac]

Doesn't really change much, in my opinion. If I had been the alleged robber, I would not have been shot and killed that night.

[BVS]

The whole thing just shows how completely incompetent the police department is; they should have released this much sooner, if this eye witness is also a suspect why is he not arrested, everything about the shooting has red flags all over it, the arresting of journalist, the using of tear gas, etc...


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[AEON]

Originally Posted by BVS

The whole thing just shows how completely incompetent the police department is; they should have released this much sooner, if this eye witness is also a suspect why is he not arrested, everything about the shooting has red flags all over it, the arresting of journalist, the using of tear gas, etc...


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All of these are valid points. I think most despise the way the police handled the protests. They certainly stoked the fire with their reaction.

It's also a good point that the other suspect was not arrested.

[AEON]

Originally Posted by BoMac

Doesn't really change much, in my opinion. If I had been the alleged robber, I would not have been shot and killed that night.

Unless you physically assaulted the officer and tried to take his gun (if that happened).

[mikal]

Does anyone else find the robbery story suspicious?


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[AEON]

Originally Posted by mikal

Does anyone else find the robbery story suspicious?


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You don't think that is Michael Brown in the photos? From what I've read online - they've pretty much confirmed it is him in the surveillance photos.

[BoMac]

Originally Posted by AEON

Unless you physically assaulted the officer and tried to take his gun (if that happened).

Correct.

[Diemen]

Originally Posted by mikal

Does anyone else find the robbery story suspicious?

It looks like him. Looks like the same clothes and socks in both the store and later photo of him in the street, as well.

That does absolutely nothing to change the fact that there is absolutely NO justification to continue shooting at an unarmed suspect who is running away and, after being hit by a bullet, puts his hands in the air and turns around to surrender. As soon as that happens, and really as soon as the suspect is running away, any excuse for lethal force goes right out the window, even IF Michael Brown robbed that store, initiated the physical confrontation, caused minor injuries to the officer and reached for the officer's gun. And I find the story that an unarmed teen would initiate a physical confrontation with a cop and attempt to reach through the car window and somehow get the cop's gun to be highly suspicious.

There is simply no excuse to continue firing on kill a suspect who has ceased posing a threat to you.

[LJT]

Why wait days after the incident to release this though? Surely you would have done anything to quell the community's anger?

To me it seems like they were not even looking for him with connection to the robbery and they are just releasing this now as an excuse to cover what happened. Again if that is Michael Brown in the footage.

[corianderstem]

My brother seems to think nine shots isn't something that needs to be pointed out ... but only because he thinks depending on the gun, it could be 9 shots in 2-3 seconds.

Which is fucking horrifying.

[BVS]

So now the chief of police says the robbery had absolutely nothing to do with the stop. So releasing it was just a smear?

What a fucking cluster...


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[AEON]

Ferguson officer realized during encounter that Michael Brown might be suspect in robbery, chief says : News

"Jackson said the officer was aware cigars had been taken in the robbery of a store nearby, but did not know when he encountered Brown and Dorian Johnson that they might be suspects. He stopped them because they were walking in the street, Jackson said.

But Jackson told the Post-Dispatch that the officer, Darren Wilson, saw cigars in Brown's hand and realized he might be the robber."

I think it would be prudent for them to release the hospital photos of Officer Darren Wilson very soon. Or any talk with the dispatcher.

[BVS]

Originally Posted by AEON

Ferguson officer realized during encounter that Michael Brown might be suspect in robbery, chief says : News



I think it would be prudent for them to release the hospital photos of Officer Darren Wilson very soon. Or any talk with the dispatcher.

Yes, but no one trusts them now due to the way they've released info up to this point. So they're going to have to release these pics, along with the shooting incident report and autopsy.




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[Vlad n U 2]

Originally Posted by mikal

Does anyone else find the robbery story suspicious?


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I do. As if the police there are trustworthy at all to even the people who are not anti-police.

Also: