MO - Grief & protests follow shooting of teen Michael Brown #3

[sorrell skye]

I don't agree. There are a couple journalist there that are being extremely balanced in their twitter reporting imo.

You're correct. There are a few mainstream journos of local news stations who are tweeting about what's really going on.

But the general tone in the reporting by the major cable news outlets seems to focus more on the so-called 'heavy-handed' response of LE against 'peaceful protesters', when, in fact, they were responding to violence, which isn't getting nearly as much coverage, IMO.

 

[Lovejac]

I'm still confused by the lack of concern over last nights shooting.
It's hardly been mentioned in the media.

I find it disturbing..


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Maybe the person shot doesn't fit into their agenda? Did the person die, do we know?

I can't find a thing about it.

 

[MyBelle]

Two statements in here that make me SMH:



Making excuses for stealing? Because you grow up in a rough situation?



Why does it matter that the landscapers were white? Anyone? Please?

I'm not going to make any excuse for stealing but I have wondered if MB was aware that taking those cigars in the manner he did--using his body to threaten and intimidate--is considered a strong-arm robbery and a felony rather than just simple shop-lifting.

JMO

 

[K_Z]

Bingo.

I suggest calling up the National Guard before releasing it.




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From what I've seen of the Governor's response, if the St. Louis Arch itself was melting in flames from riot destruction, I think he still wouldn't call out the National Guard. I think he'd let all of St. Louis burn to the ground first. IMO. He doesn't want to get to the truth, nor does he want to solve this. IMO. His response, IMO, continues to be impotent.

 

[vulture]

This is also the best/worst time of year for riots, August is the hottest month. If this incident happened in December things would be very different.

And it's not even hot this August! I'm glad it's been the 80s and not in the high 90s or low 100s like it usually is at this time.

 

[Lovejac]

Snipped my me and BBM for focus.

The spin sessions about what the autopsy findings "are" have been going on for days already. Attorney Crump said that himself, that they were discussing "what the results are, and how to release them" (my paraphrase).

It's my opinion that there will be extreme official resistance to releasing anything in the reports-- they may go so far as to not even confirm how many shots were fired. They know the results of the preliminary tox already. They know a lot about the autopsy results right now. If there was something there that could implicate the officer, you bet it would be released, loudly and persistently. IMO, the autopsy results, the TRUTH, is again a giant problem. IMO, the officials are already behaving as if the TRUTH in the autopsy report is a giant problem that has to be suppressed at all costs. We've already seen what the TRUTH of the well-documented videotapes of the robbery and assault has produced.

Amen to that. It would be all over the news if it did implicate the officer. IMO

 

[BirdycatNY]

I'm not going to make any excuse for stealing but I have wondered if MB was aware that taking those cigars in the manner he did--using his body to threaten and intimidate--is considered a strong-arm robbery and a felony rather than just simple shop-lifting.

JMO

I think MB knew he was not just shop lifting and used his body to intimidate...he looks in the video like a bully, just taking what he wants without fear of repercussion.

 

[MyBelle]

From what I've seen of the Governor's response, if the St. Louis Arch itself was melting in flames from riot destruction, I think he still wouldn't call out the National Guard. I think he'd let all of St. Louis burn to the ground first. IMO. He doesn't want to get to the truth, nor does he want to solve this. IMO. His response, IMO, continues to be impotent.

His approach is contradictory. He announced a curfew and then Johnson said it wouldn't be enforced with tear gas. Of course a few hundred people would show up. Jeez. They were literally blowing smoke...in the rain. If somebody was shot and is in critical condition, I'd say the Governor's plan backfired badly.

JMO

 

[popsicle]

For the record, 10:49 a.m.: An earlier version of this story referred to the federal autopsy as a "second autopsy." Counting the family and state autopsies, it would be a third autopsy.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-ferguson-michael-brown-20140817-story.html

 

[MyBelle]

I think MB knew he was not just shop lifting and used his body to intimidate...he looks in the video like a bully, just taking what he wants without fear of repercussion.

I don't disagree. I think he showed behavior that he had done it before without repercussion. I'm just wondering if the lack of repercussion previously lulled him into believing it wasn't a serious crime.

 

[al66pine]

The guy talking about it in the background in the youtube video definitely sounds like he witnessed it.

If a guy you are referring to is the same guy, I was hearing...
He said (paraphrasing), I heard a shot, then ___, so I started recording.
IOW, he did NOT SEE THE FIRST SHOT, just HEARD THE FIRST SHOT.

How could he know what LEO or MB were doing, leading up to the first shot, and actually at the time of the first shot?

If he was already at the window and looking out the window in approp direction, and saw what LEO & MB were doing at time of shot,
it would seem natural, imo, that he would have said, 'I SAW the shooting' NOT, 'I HEARD a shot'

Maybe I'm referring to someone other than the guy you heard. IDK.

JMO, IMO, MOO

 

[sorrell skye]

So now he was begging for his life? Why is this just coming out now I wonder?

My guess: This many days after the shooting, it's possible that some accounts are being purposefully tailored to paint a portrayal of what happened that's as malevolent against the officer as possible, especially after the release of the store CCTV footage.

If so, maybe this is one of the reasons why the DOJ et.al didn't want that footage released - they were trying to protect the integrity of the investigation and prevent witness accounts from being possibly 'adjusted' in retaliation to the CCTV footage release. It's a delicate situation and I don't think Police Chief Jackson fully understands the ramifications of his decision. Based on what I've seen of him in pressers, I think he's in way over his head, which is one of the reasons why his jurisdictional authority has been usurped - and rightly so, IMO.

 

[MyBelle]

IMO MB was high. He didn't "shoplift" he told the tiny store owner he wanted so many boxes of cigars and when the owner put them on the counter MB make it clear he was stealing them and headed to the door. When the tiny owner said "you need to pay for that" and rushed to the door with his keys....MB grabbed him and pushed him back, then went towards him again.

That is not "shoplifting", that was not just "theft", he TOLD the owner to bring out those cigars so the owner would KNOW he was being robbed and he wasn't in any hurry to leave that establishment.

IMO He was on a mission to PROVE he could do what he wanted. IMO he did the EXACT same thing when he encountered Officer Wilson.

IMO MB was higher than kite on something, which not only explains his behavior towards the shop keeper AND the officer but also why he took so many bullets before he went down.

That wasn't my point. I saw the video. What I'm wondering is if he thought it wasn't robbery because he had no gun or knife and because of the dollar value of the item he took. iow, did he believe it was only a misdemeanor with a slap-on-the-wrist consequence? His demeanor on the tape is in sharp contrast to the one painted by friends and teachers.

 

[William N]

I'm not going to make any excuse for stealing but I have wondered if MB was aware that taking those cigars in the manner he did--using his body to threaten and intimidate--is considered a strong-arm robbery and a felony rather than just simple shop-lifting.

JMO

It doesn't matter if he was "aware" or not. MB physically assaulted and intimidated the store clerk while stealing merchandise. Since he didn't use a gun it is classified as "strong-arm robbery" instead of "armed robbery."

Do you actually think MB didn't know what he was doing?

 

[Boytwnmom]

That a group of people equates justice with an indictment when no one even has the facts straight. I still have no idea what happened-I've seen no autopsy results, have not seen the officers sworn statement/report, have not even seen the witnesses statements. I understand some people THINK they know what happened based on hearing from someone who heard from someone etc. But that isn't how justice works. We don't indict people without the facts being established. There will be a GJ convened. There may or may not be an indictment. But I'm afraid for some people it really doesn't matter what actually happened-they want this officer indicted and convicted and incarcerated. This really doesn't even make sense to me since a big issue with the community and the people speaking out seems to be an about excess of government authority and control. If that's a concern I don't see how the government indicting people without due process helps, unless they only want certain people indicted. That doesn't work in this country either.

We have a serious problem in this country if people refuse to understand how justice works. Justice isn't getting the outcome YOU want. In this case, the issue is whether the use of deadly force was justified. It's not about whether someone deserved to die. The justice system can only punish someone who kills unlawfully. It's not some magic elixer.

While I do agree the peaceful protesters and the looters are miles apart. I have to disagree that they will accept it if the police officer is found to have justifiably fired. I think they want to believe the narrative of the "innocent teen walking the street and being gunned down by a white cop" no matter what. That's why they consider it "character assassination" that the police released the surveillance of what MB was really up to that day. If they wanted the whole truth, then there would be no problem with the video being released.

 

[Sonya610]

That wasn't my point. I saw the video. What I'm wondering is if he thought it wasn't robbery because he had no gun or knife and because of the dollar value of the item he took. iow, did he believe it was only a misdemeanor with a slap-on-the-wrist consequence? His demeanor on the tape is in sharp contrast to the one painted by friends and teachers.

My comment wasn't addressing your point.

My point was he TOLD the shopkeeper to bring out those cigars and THEN he made a show of taking them.

That is very very bold. I think he was JUST as bold when he encountered Officer Wilson.

 

[sorrell skye]

I don't disagree. I think he showed behavior that he had done it before without repercussion. I'm just wondering if the lack of repercussion previously lulled him into believing it wasn't a serious crime.

BBM

Good point.

I think if it had been his first time stealing, he would have appeared nervous, may have even ran out of the store, rather than acting the way he did by aggressively grabbing the clerk by the neck and shoving him, then continuing to menace the clerk when the clerk attempted to follow him out the door. Those don't seem like the actions of a first-time thief, IMO.

Not to mention that he then casually sauntered down the middle of the street until approached by LE.

 

[Montjoy]

But I'm afraid for some people it really doesn't matter what actually happened-they want this officer indicted and convicted and incarcerated.

I agree with what you wrote, but I would have to add that 'I'm afraid for some people it doesn't really matter what happened -- they want this officer exonerated.' I've read countless posts here that reject all witness statements given thus far because they simply cannot believe that a LEO would shoot someone unjustifiably as has been reported. I can't judge the shooting or the LEO at all at this point -- we simply do not have the facts.

 

[MyBelle]

My guess: This many days after the shooting, it's possible that some accounts are being purposefully tailored to paint a portrayal of what happened that's as malevolent against the officer as possible, especially after the release of the store CCTV footage.

If so, maybe this is one of the reasons why the DOJ et.al didn't want that footage released - they were trying to protect the integrity of the investigation and prevent witness accounts from being possibly 'adjusted' in retaliation to the CCTV footage release. It's a delicate situation and I don't think Police Chief Jackson fully understands the ramifications of his decision. Based on what I've seen of him in pressers, I think he's in way over his head, which is one of the reasons why his jurisdictional authority has been usurped - and rightly so, IMO.

The autopsy will provide more evidentiary value than witness statements. Police Chief Jackson had to comply with the request from the media. or they would have gone to court and forced it. I think usurping his authority has made the situation worse, not better. The press conference didn't instill confidence and last night did get out of hand.

JMO

 

[TaylurRose02]

Not all "heavy-handed" LE was in response to violence. And to be fair, LE did in fact breach journalists rights by arresting them and 1.) Not Giving Miranda Rights 2.) Excessive force 3.) Not giving the reason they were being detained 4.) Illegally instructing them to stop taping a video of them in McD's. LE also hit a group of journalists with tear gas and rubber bullets. The general tone against journalists has been hostile as well as towards the public. There have been groups of peaceful protesters who also had tear gas and rubber bullets used against them. That'd be why the "militarization of our law enforcement" is currently a hot topic among politicians. I'm not defending the way the media has covered the story, I'm just explaining why I think they are choosing to do so in a way that may seem bias. Btw, there were peaceful protesters who stood in front of local businesses to protect them from looters as well. The media and LE failed to recognize them as well.

That was supposed to be in reply to Skye, sorry! Been awhile since I've posted :blushing: