Maybe, possibly, this guy live-tweeted Brown killing and aftermath.
Wow, now police chief admits that Brown was stopped purely for walking in the street--not as robbery suspect...."His initial contact was not related to the robbery." He also called Darren Wilson a "gentle, quiet man."
Attorney for Dorian Johnson says he told police that he and Brown did take cigars from store. "He told FBI that he did take cigarillos, he told that to the DOJ and the St. Louis County Police."
Wesley Lowery (who was arrested the other night) with full report at Wash Post. With detail at video shows Dorian Johnson putting box of cigars back on counter--perhaps why not charged.
CNN legal analyst says key will be what (if true) that "injury" to cop was--could sustain defense that he was "attacked" and felt threatened and courts have ruled that cops can shoot fleeing suspect, right or not. Vox analyzes legal precedents.
More from Don Lemon at CNN just now on police documents: in buried note they say 4 to 6 shots.
If that name Dorian Johnson sounds familiar as alleged accomplice in the purported "strong arm" robbery (or shoplifting)--he's also one of the few eyewitnesses to Brown's death who has appeared in the media this week. But the baffling question: If he was indeed in on the robbery why has he not been arrested (especially since he has hit police in his witness account)? I suppose it's possible that video shows him as only passive participant in the shoplifting so they feel charges would not stick. Also suggests that he confirmed to them that he indeed was at store with Brown, as observer only, which fingers Brown as indeed involved.
Also: no word on cigars found in Brown's pockets.
@RyanjReilly of Huff Post with claims in police report (and video and pics) that Brown indeed was suspect in that robbery maybe an hour before (which seem to involved cigars). Chief suspect is quite large but face grainy. Police claiming "robbery" but wonder if it is more "shoplifting." CNN's Don Lemon says photo of Brown after killing shows wearing same clothes and cap as guy in robbery video.
Wash Post's Wesley Lowery tweets: "Info handed out ONLY about alleged robbery. NO info included about interaction with Officer Wilson, the shooting....Not handed out: a use of force report, any police report written by Officer Wilson, any narrative of shooting."
9:45 a.m. Police chief (photo above) in largely bumbling manner speaks to press about Mike Brown incident. Goes over timeline on date of killing. Incident started, allegedly, with report of robbery suspect. Extremely vague. Then says will hand out packets on the robbery although not clear if they are suggesting Brown involved in that or just stopped as possible suspect. Names officer as Darren Wilson, as some had suggested. Claims he has had no disciplinary actions in six years. And claims he was injured in episode. And that's it. No details and we'll see what's in the packet. Also: no update on police investigation.
Darren Wilson was the name a reporter queried yesterday and chief gave it a way by looking shocked and refusing to confirm or deny.
Chief obviously trying to link to robbery in some way--recall that the police say Wilson did not confront Brown as a suspect in that but simply to "get the fuck get on the sidewalk" instead of walking on street.
4 comments:
My daughter, who lives in St. Louis and knows Ferguson from her work as a community organizer reports that there were many witnesses to the shooting, three of whom have corroborated on details though they don't know each other, nor have communicated with each other. She reported to me that police have not had a presence in the neighborhood seeking out witnesses to the crime. Rather, they have come up with fictionalized accounts. She attended a meeting of local reporters last night, whom she described as reluctant to report the facts as well. One, she claimed, discounted the account of a witness because he was known to have once "stolen a backpack."
My daughter, who lives in St. Louis and knows Ferguson from her work as a community organizer reports that there were many witnesses to the shooting, three of whom have corroborated on details though they don't know each other, nor have communicated with each other. She reported to me that police have not had a presence in the neighborhood seeking out witnesses to the crime. Rather, they have come up with fictionalized accounts. She attended a meeting of local reporters last night, whom she described as reluctant to report the facts as well. One, she claimed, discounted the account of a witness because he was known to have once "stolen a backpack."
The fact Brown was a suspect in a robbery should, obviously, not justify his murder, but that is what the authorities are attempting to do. The police disgust me.
Thank you for your links or mentions to other reporters covering this story. I appreciate the work the CNN correspondent did in examining the 19-page compendium that Ferguson PD released this morning. On page 17, there is a time-log with short entries. At 14:12 (2:12 p.m.) the log says "SHOTS ON CANFIELD." That was two hours after the shooting. The next entry, a minute later and in lower case, reads "4 to 6 shots." That is pretty much what Dorian Johnson said on TV this week. I do wonder why there is no police log contemporary, or shortly after the event, around 12:05 or 12:10.
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