MO - Grief & protests follow shooting of teen Michael Brown #7

[Gypsy Road]

Mini rant here. I'm about done with CNN and their statistics. They seem to throw out random statistics without any other information - fanning the racist flames even more and making it sound that Ferguson is partial to hiring white officers. We don't know that. Just now Jeffrey Tubin said...."Ferguson's police force consists of 90% white officers". Well hmmmmm....can we get some more info regarding those statistics? Like how many qualified Black or Hispanic potential police officers are actually applying for police officer positions in Ferguson? Adding that info might help someone determine whether or not there is a problem if Blacks are being passed over in favor of whites.

 

[mdana]

I often wonder if people confuse what discussion forums are about. Posters are not jurors, their comments are not evidence, the members have no power to convict or acquit. It's simply an exchange of opinions and information. Some people want to be able to control the thoughts and opinions of others, an impossible task. I also think it pertinent that participation in discussion is voluntary.

That said, reviewing the threads here might give one a better idea of how people's opinions have transformed. There's a lot of explanation as to how people have arrived where they are right now. And there are many unanswered/ignored questions asked of those who seem upset with a notion that Wilson was justified. Seems many simply left when it appeared the case was heading in the "justified" direction. If you are interested in a discussion, I am sure the questions can be asked again. If you are interested in a particular conclusion, I think that is unlikely.

BBM-

<modsnip> I don't even know what to think, because Wilson has not even been charged. So, I don't feel like he needs to be defended against an overzealous pro-guilt crowd, which is weird for me, because I usually argue for the defense.

However, I feel like a few posters are making some valid points questioning the handling of this case and Ferguson Police Department's handling of it, specifically. Some other posters question critically anything that shines doubt on the LE but are credulous of anything that makes LE's version seem believable. For example, lawyer X discredits someone we don't like, when the poster has no idea who lawyer X. If you google, lawyer X you find out he is a shyster, has ethical charges, or may have a conflict of interest.

I think one should be skeptical of everything at this point.

These cases to often become arguments and sides seemed to be formed. Life is not binary, so why should investigations be?

-JMO

 

[Bernina]

A tactical team would have been called risking even more lives!

Assault people and your chances of being shot go up, assault a cop and those chances go up exponentially!

A tactical team for an unarmed suspect? Really? :facepalm: Chalk it up to living in Arizona, the only time AZ LE calls in tactical on a suspect is when the suspect is known to be armed and dangerous, and/or has shot off a few rounds.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I'm so jaded by all the spin, I can't stop myself from thinking about what he left out. As in, the part about what his client claimed happened in the physical struggle before Wilson chased MB.

After all, we have so many who want to convict the cop saying that "scuffle" didn't matter.

It matters a lot to me, so I want to know if his client has changed his story on that part.

It matters a lot to me too. When is it ok to ever "scuffle" with a police officer. It's assault and Battery. MB needed to be arrested for it.

 

[DebinGA]

Good deal.

He was picked up, laid on a picnic table and punched in the face by a much older child.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, he survived admirably based on his injured-eye pic. My first thought was that he looked just like that adorable champion-digger character in the movie "Holes".

 

[branwynbreeze]

I agree with you. I don't even think it's actually been about MB for awhile now for some protesters.

VICTIM #1 - Store Clerk
First incident - being strong armed robbed in his own store
Second incident - having his store looted and destroyed by protestors siding with man who first victimized him
VICTIM #2 - Officer Wilson
First incident - being attacked by MB inn his squad car and then bumrushed and threatened with his life
Second incident - being forced into hiding with his young child, maligned by media and politicians, called everything from a racist to a murderer

MB is NOT a victim - he began the entire chain of events with one bad decision and continued with more and more bad decisions to try to escape from his first incident and continued to escalate until it resulted in his own death.

THIS is how I see this whole situation. And THIS is AFTER initially thinking that MB was the only victim.

 

[MyBelle]

you must not have been paying much attention to the endless criticism he faces by those who insist he investigates too much.

this thread is amazing.

the only folks who are making it clear that justice has ONE look and only one, are those who insist that wilson was justified. it's entirely ridiculous.

my brother, a white cop, was shot in the line of duty by an 18 yo black kid. my brother fired back and the kid was killed. do not blast me as unknowing or whatever else for finally stating what needed to be said here.

i've never, ever seen a group of people insist so damn hard that a town of 23,000 people in US cannot possibly be home to corrupt police, and cops who kill when killing is unwarranted. are we now denying that this country used to hang black people on trees, too?

MOO

Respectfully, I fail to understand your point. You say your brother was injured in the line of duty and he returned fired and killed his assailant. But then you leap to a conclusion that Officer Wilson was NOT justified in doing the same thing your brother did?

Nobody here that I've seen has denied there may be corrupt cops in that community but I personally have seen no evidence any cop is corrupt in that community. The discussion here hasn't mentioned trees at all.

JMO

 

[Sonya610]

Well, he survived admirably based on his injured-eye pic. My first thought was that he looked just like that adorable champion-digger character in the movie "Holes".

My second thought was poor Linda7NJ having a kid with a horrid black eye that lasted months.

Can you even imagine what people thought when they saw her with that child in public? I can! They likely wondered if the parents were beating that poor child!

 

[DebinGA]

It matters a lot to me too. When is it ok to ever "scuffle" with a police officer. It's assault and Battery. MB needed to be arrested for it.

I imagine sucker-punching a police officer and going for his gun are unpardonable sins when it comes to letting a perp go with just a warning.

 

[Lovejac]

Retweeted by Shimon Prokupecz
​

​

​

ACLU of Missouri &#8207;@aclu_mo 4m
In response to our lawsuit for #MikeBrown shooting report, STL County Police Dept released: http://bit.ly/1q15tTT
​

​

​

Look. Even their Incident Report has MB listed as an Adult

 

[popsicle]

David Carson &#8207;@PDPJ 3m
#Ferguson chatting with cops
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BvhBu-wIQAE-P_E.jpg

 

[cady]

Honestly, I can't answer that. I know when it happened, it was a little swollen, he was given an ice pack and sat down . ( daycamp at the time) when the nurse checked on him, three hours later, they called me all panicked and an ambulance. I met them at the hospital. It had swollen shut, the eyeball was blood red, and I swear, not exaggerating around his eye and his eyelid swelled up the size of a baseball.
He did say he was very disorientated but didn't loose consciousness.
He had a CAT scan and saw "eyeball"
Specialists. ( forget the name) neurologists..and even a plastic surgeon.

I can't find the early photos... This one is 3 months later. I edited it so he can't be recognized per TOS

View attachment 57256

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AWWWW, Poor kid. I'm sure you were scared and I'm sorry for his ordeal. Did the bone heal? JMO

 

[Observer in AZ]

Very true, however I thought situation was more of someone looking for something quick to pawn. Turned out there were more, they were getting into houses to eat and clean up stolen a few small items. They were arrested when they somehow set house down street on fire later that week.

I don't know, I guess you pick your battles. On a Sunday afternoon 1 block from police station a higher than a kite man pulled a knife on me. I was lucky that when I decided to run for it a car with a huge man was driving by. He stopped and knife welder stopped chasing me and ran away. The police did take a report, but said don't expect an arrest.The time I was stabbed with hypodermic needle during day at park, another example. I could go on and on, but jest of it is due to circumstances we know police aren't going to solve it, so why bother calling.

Holy cow.. Where do you live? I haven't had anything like that really happen to me ever and you've had home intrusion, threatened at knife point and stabbed with needle..

I'd buy lotto ticket! But glad you made it out of all your situations unharmed but I would move LOL!

 

[SwampMama]

I read something that indicated the FPD doesn't even have a bulletproof vest for every officer. Yikes!

Our family had to buy the bullet proof vest for our loved one. They are not simply handed out as mandatory equipment.

 

[DebinGA]

An Alabama 6th grade teacher is suspended with pay as the the superintendent investigates parent complaints that she had her class act out MB's killing. Didn't mention if the reenactment began at Ferguson Mart with the purloined cigarillos.

 

[bwt42]

On the way to the health club today I heard on ABC news, McCulluch will introduce the tape of the unknown witness that said MB rushed the officer.

 

[popsicle]

You certainly are making a sweeping generalization of the Marines and your generalization is simply wrong. Young offenders were never given the option of service in the United States Marine Corps rather than avoiding jail time. The Marines has always been an elite branch of the U.S. Navy. In 1968, military service was mandatory unless you had a legit exemption such as college and even then a man had to go into the service after college graduation. My older brother became a Marine Corps officer AFTER college graduation and the application process and the boot camp were rigorous. My BIL was in a street fight in Kansas City and was given a choice between jail and the U.S. Navy, Army or Air Force. He chose the Navy.

Frankly, I think the nation's problems with youth violence and gang activity would be alleviated considerably if they would once again implement the draft with mandatory service. But nobody has ever been able to enlist in the Marines to avoid jail. That's an insult to every Marine out there past and present.

JMO

Joining the Marines (or any branch of the military) is not a bad decision. It's a decision to give your life, if necessary, for the protection of this country, and its people (even those who aren't grateful for your efforts).

Clearly, this was an example of making a good decision with your life at 18 vs. making a bad on (as in: allegedly committing strong arm robbery, and acting, for all intents and purposes, like a ).

Thank you.:loveyou: I was just scrolling past that part.

 

[cady]

I have quite a few friends on Facebook posting stuff about how 'this kid was killed over a box of $50 cigars, no one deserves to die for that' just totally disregarding the facts that a) Officer Wilson didn't even know about the strong-arm robbery when he first encountered MB & DJ and b) it wasn't 'just' a box of cigars, it was picking up an older, much smaller man by the throat. I bothered to point this out to one of them, and she conceded the point, but the next day was back to posting about someone not deserving to die over an act of shoplifting.

It seems there is a DETERMINATION to make the facts fit the scenario of the innocent young boy walking harmlessly in the street who was shot down by a bloodthirsty cop over a box of cigars while begging for his life completely ignoring the evidence to the contrary. And to have the governor and the U.S. Attorney General pandering to this thirst for mob justice....it makes me sad for my country and it makes me afraid.

NOW he picked up the clerk by the throat? Hmmmmm. JMO

 

[SStarr33]

I've wondered if the location played a part in MB's reaction to DW's order to halt. If it happened at the apt. complex where MB was known/lived, with curious neighbors looking on, 18 yo AA, adrenaline-filled MB may not have seen obeying Ofc. Wilson as an option. Sad, but DW wasn't the one who made bad decisions that day imo. MB was an aspiring rap artist, and I bet the lyrics to the videos he posted would help us understand him better.

I can't post a link here, but Google soopermexican mike browns very explicit rap songs

IMO, he had serious problems.

 

[DebinGA]

Our family had to buy the bullet proof vest for our loved one. They are not simply handed out as mandatory equipment.

I don't doubt you at all, but that seems so incredible to me.