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Saturday, August 16, 2014

Saturday Updates on Ferguson Crisis and Conflict

7:00 Amnesty Int'l director hits Missouri Gov. Nixon declaring emergency and curfew--compares to dictators abroad.  Ouch... Famed, but sometimes derided, pathologist Michael Baden to conduct second autopsy of Mike Brown for family.  

5:00 p.m.  Gov. Nixon declares state of emergency and curfew will go into effect tonight after more protests and end of kumbaya moment.   "Earlier Saturday, in a new sign of discord among the authorities over the handling of the investigation into Mr. Brown’s death, the Justice Department said that it had opposed the release of a video that the Ferguson Police Department said showed the teenager apparently involved in a robbery at a convenience store."

10 a.m. After 48 hours of relative calm, police fire tear gas at 200 protesters late at night as difficult day ends. "Police fired a tear gas canister at a crowd of around 200 people last night who gathered near a shop that Michael Brown, 18, was suspected of robbing. Some protesters threw bottles at officers in riot gear and chanted 'hands up, don't shoot.'"

J. Cole releases song about Michael Brown, "Be Free."  “That coulda been me, easily. It could have been my best friend. I’m tired of being desensitized to the murder of black men.”


NYT reporter locates, and visits, police shooter Darren Wilson's home, even reveals what town it's in.  Chats with neighbors who say he cleared out in a hurry on Tuesday--never finished cutting his lawn.  Lives with another cop.  Let kids swim in his pool.  Etc.  Turns out he has only been on force for two years--plus four years in nearby town.

Maybe, possibly, this guy live-tweeted Brown killing and aftermath.
 

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