Ferguson - Blog Posts
We encourage you to share the link to this rather than reblogging the entire post (since this is frequently updated and we want to minimize the spread of outdated info!): bit.ly/FergusonAEM. Also, ...
Violence works. Nonviolence does too.
Stokeley Carmichael knew/knows what’s up.
The DOJ’s report of Mike Brown’s autopsy. Death ruled a homicide.
Ferguson grand jury documents withheld (x)
More anger, action at Ferguson Commission meeting (x)
Ferguson book gifts grow; library donations over $350,000
Gov. Nixon declined 7 year old…
KU JOURNALISM MAJOR SHREDS “CASE” AGAINST MIKE BROWN
Shelby Lawson is a student at the University of Kansas, majoring in Journalism and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Lawson posted the following to her Facebook page:
“Alright y’all. I’d like to clear a few things up. This is a general address to the long list of misconceptions and inconsistencies and abuses of power that exist surrounding the killing of Mike Brown. I have researched these points and provided sources in case you wish to do some reading of your own.
-The most common misconception I’m hearing is that Mike Brown was significantly larger than Officer Wilson. This is incorrect. On page 198 of the official grand jury transcript, you can see that Officer Wilson testifies he is 6 ft 4 and weighs 210 lbs,the same size as Mike Brown.
(source)
-Mike Brown was NOT stopped because he was a suspect in crime. He and his friend Dorian Johnson were stopped for jaywalking, as Darren Wilson testifies to on page 208 of his grand jury testimony.
-Mike Brown WAS fleeing from Officer Wilson when he was fatally shot. Wilson confirms this on page 281 of his grand jury testimony.
-Officer Wilson broke police self-defense protocol, which teaches to disarm and incapacitate rather than kill and teaches officers to go for body shots. Officer Wilson shot Mike Brown twice in the head, after he shot him four times in his arm and torso.
(source)
-Ferguson Police ignored protocol and refused to interview or take a statement from the eyewitness present from Officer Wilson’s initial contact with Mike Brown until his death.
(source)
-The forensic examiner broke protocol by failing to take crime scene photos. On page 95 of the grand jury transcript, she claims that this was because her camera had died, however, she goes on to describe how she immediately followed Wilson to the hospital in order to photograph his “injuries.”
-Forensic investigators broke protocol by failing to test Officer Wilson’s gun for fingerprints, since Wilson claims that Brown grabbed his gun and caused it to misfire. Page 39, grand jury transcript.
-Darren Wilson was then allowed to break protocol by washing the blood off of himself before it could be photographed, making it impossible to analyze blood spatter patterns and determine what position Mike Brown was in when Wilson first shot him. Wilson recounts this on page 10 of his official police interview.
(source)
-While Officer Wilson’s story of what happened that day has changed at least three times, six separate eyewitnesses, four of whom have never met each other, all have identical accounts of what happened. They were never interviewed by police.
(source)
-These eyewitnesses all agree that Darren Wilson was the aggressor and that Mike Brown was shot while surrendering, with his hands in the air and that his last words were “I don’t have a gun. Stop shooting.”
-This is backed up by Mike Brown’s autopsy, which suggests that Mike Brown would have had to be in the hands-up position for the bullets to enter his hand and arm the way they did.
(source)
-Furthermore, in a press conference, the coroner who performed Mike Brown’s autopsy relays that there was no trace of gun shot residue anywhere on his body, proving that Wilson’s claim that Mike Brown grabbed his gun, causing it to misfire, is impossible and untrue.
(source)
-Ferguson Police lied about the distance Mike Brown was from Officer Wilson when he was killed. They reported it was 35 ft. but it was in fact 148 ft.
(source)
-Owner of Ferguson Market states that he did not call police to report a theft of cigars, that the theft had nothing to do with Mike Brown, and that the man on the security footage is not Mike Brown.
(source)
-The prosecuting attorney for the case against Darren Wilson has helped raise $600,000 in donations for Darren Wilson, creating a clear conflict of interest.
(source)
-The police department that Officer Wilson worked for prior to coming to Ferguson was disbanded after multiple instances of racial profiling.”
(source)
Source
Dec. 1 12:50 pm
Darren Wilson will not receive any further pay or benefits after resigning (x) (x)
“That bullshit jury was fixed” — Ferguson seethes in response to Darren Wilson verdict
14 teens killed by cops since Mike Brown
Long history of racial tension set the stage for Ferguson protests
STL Rams players show support for Ferguson protesters before game. Jeff Roorda and STL Police Officers Association (SLPOA) wants Rams players disciplined for “hands up” gesture.
Protest shuts down Interstate 395
Obama to meet civil rights leaders, police amid Ferguson protests
Lol it doesnt matter if a cop shoots two times or trillion times, you learn in police school if somebody is a threat for you, you shoot him till he stops moving...
Let’s take a moment to take your law apart and analyze it:
Darren Wilson chose not to carry a non-lethal weapon as well because it was not the most comfortable thing
furthermore
Mike Brown was unarmed
these are Darren Wilson’s so-called injuries (THEY EVEN TRIED PASSING OFF A BIRTHMARK AS AN INJURY)
Darren Wilson stopped Mike Brown for jaywalking, and he had no information about him supposedly robbing a convenience store. The store owner even said that nobody reported a robbery and he doubts that it was Mike Brown who shoplifted 48 dollar worth of items from his store. No matter what the police tells you, no matter if they claim Darren Wilson responded to a call, no matter how many witnesses they ignore, we still have the word of the store owner and his clerks, which they gave out publicly.
Mike Brown supposedly attacked Darren Wilson. Darren Wilson decided not to use mace that he said he had on him, but to shoot Mike Brown 6 times.
Unarmed Mike Brown was no threat to anyone. Even if he struggled for the gun, which I highly doubt, he was shot from a distance, which suggests he was running away. From my understanding, he was first shot in his forearm, from the back, while he was running away. Then he turned around and was shot in his upper arm, while he was still standing. He was shot in his chest while he was falling down and in his head, while he was already down. This was proven by Cyril Wecht, and if you do not know who he is, look him up. He worked many high-profile cases and is excellent in his line of work. Do watch his explanation.
Darren Wilson is a trained police officer. He was trained to work under pressure and to know how to react in such situations. He is in no way an inexperienced young cop (or a 5 year old) who could have reacted wrongly because he never found himself in a similar situation. He is a grown man who described Mike Brown as looking like demon to justify his actions.
An unarmed 18 year old child. It. A demon. Hulk Hogan. And he said he would do it again. He would shoot dead an 18 year old boy who was running away from him.
Throwing this in as well because it’s important and not enough people are talking about it.
Not to mention, Darren Wilson’s most vocal supporters, the KKK. And he’s being investigated himself about being connected to them in ways he shouldn’t have been.
Frank Ancona, leader of the KKK, admitted to speaking to law enforcement in Ferguson off the record. He tried to take it back afterwards, which only made it clearer that Ferguson police has been working with the KKK.
And in case you failed to read this anywhere else (624 black men if you do the math):
Even though it now has enough signatures, you can still sign this petition to bring Darren Wilson up on federal charges.
IN CONCLUSION
YOU DO NOT SHOOT UNARMED BOYS UNTIL THEY STOP MOVING THE LAW NEVER SAYS CONTINUE SHOOTING WHEN THE BOY IS FALLING DOWN AND DEAD ON THE FLOOR, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO INCAPACITATE HIM AND NOT KILL HIM
(all underlined text leads to other sources, do click on it)
EDIT: ADDING SOME NEWER INFO
A lot of the buildings being burned down and destroyed in Ferguson are owned by black owners. It’s the KKK’s work. A couple of looters aside, the actual protesters are not harming anyone or anything. Nothing is sacred to them.
THE GRAND JURY HAD AN OUTDATED LAW FROM ‘79 GIVEN TO THEM, INSTEAD OF THE ONE FROM ‘84
source
I mentioned this before, but I truly believe that maintaining credibility is important. I think spreading misinformation, exaggerations, and falsehoods does not help any cause. Sometimes it is very tempting to just hit that reblog button and share that terrible thing people…
What White People REALLY Mean When They Talk About Ferguson | Feminspire
Every 28 hours a black person is killed by a police officer. Yet another unarmed black person, 18 year old Mike Brown, was killed by officer Darren Wilson on August 9th in Ferguson, Missouri. People in Ferguson are taking to the streets, demanding justice and braving excessive and cruel force from local police and the National Guard. Those of us who wish we could be in Ferguson, but can’t be, are protesting, tweeting, writing, donating, screaming, crying, or whatever we can do to process the fact that black people are still subhuman in 21st century America, and to process the fact that white people still don’t understand that the murder of black folks at the hands of law enforcement is a serious problem in the country.
By now I’m sure you’ve seen, heard, or talked with white people who don’t seem to understand that Ferguson is indeed about race, or that the response to protesters is beyond excessive. So I’ve put together this guide to deciphering white proverbs about Ferguson, which should come in handy the next time you’re talking to a white person (or anyone for that matter) who just doesn’t get it.
1. What they say: Stop jumping to conclusions/we don’t know all the facts about the shooting/this isn’t about race.
What they mean:
They deny the centuries-long history of violence committed against black people by the state, police, and the criminal justice system. Or, they believe this violence ended long ago and no longer affects us today.
They believe that black people should delay their reactions until the case is closed, which could take months or even years, and that we are irrational for being angry before then.
They are more concerned with the possibility of a black man doing something that deserved his execution, than the reality that a black man is now lying in a morgue.
They would never say something like this about violence committed by a black person (especially against a white person). White people have a history of jumping to conclusions and arresting or killing black people when suspected of wrongdoing. (Emmett Till never got to explain himself before he was killed in 1955, and more recently, nor did Eric Garner or John Crawford.)
2. What they say: The protesters are violent and looting. They are destroying their own town. They should be peaceful and cooperate with police.
What they mean:
They are prioritizing petty crimes over the killing of a human being.
By conflating the looters with the peaceful protesters, they conflate resistance to racism with violence and destruction, and perpetuate the stereotype that black people are inherently violent.
They ignore protesters who protected stores from looting, and helped store owners clean up.
They excuse excessive police force used against peaceful demonstrators.
They forget about times when white people have rioted, such as Penn State students after Joe Paterno’s firing.
They deny the right of oppressed people to be angry about oppression. Centuries ago, they would have probably been against slave rebellions.
3. What they say: He robbed a convenience store. He was resisting or fighting with the officer. He smoked marijuana. He can’t possibly be a victim because he wasn’t innocent.
What they mean:
Black men deserve to die if they rob a few dollars worth of goods from a store.
Black men deserve to die even if they have their hands up.
Black men deserve to die if they resist arrest or defend themselves.
Black men deserve to die even if the gun they are holding is just a toy.
Black men deserve to die even if they are unarmed and doing normal things that white people do.
Black men deserve to die.
Meanwhile, white folks can proudly stroll through a Target store with assault rifles hanging off their shoulders, knowing that they will not get shot by a police officer. White people who refuse to pay grazing fees in Nevada can defend their assumed right to do so by pointing guns at federal agents without fear of being shot at. White terrorists and white mass murderers get taken away in police cars instead of being shot (not to mention sympathy from the media.) White people even write childrens books about how proud they are to use their white privilege to openly carry a gun without being mistaken for criminals. Must be nice.
4. What they say: The local police and National Guard are just doing their jobs.
What they mean:
Taking several days to release the name of the officer who killed Brown is acceptable.
The history of racist practices in the Ferguson police department is acceptable.
The police department releasing an unrelated video of a robbery that may or may not have involved Mike Brown, in an attempt to assassinate his character, is acceptable.
Failing to immediately interview witnesses, arrest Darren Wilson, and otherwise conduct a proper investigation, is acceptable.
Leaving a dead body on the street for several hours in the scorching heat, while family and neighbors look on, is acceptable.
Using military-like force, including tear gas, which is illegal to use at wartime, against peaceful protesters, is acceptable.
Intimidating the news media is acceptable.
Police ignoring proper protocol when it comes to black people and black neighborhoods, is acceptable.
Mistreatment of black people at the hands of the police, is acceptable.
5. What they say: Nothing at all.
What they mean:
They don’t care, and they think this doesn’t affect them.
Or perhaps, they aren’t sure what to do. (In this case, they should read this.)
This is what white people don’t understand about Ferguson: It’s not just about one black kid and one white police officer. This is about our place in this country, and in our country’s history. It’s about our 400 year long struggle to be seen and valued as human beings worthy of dignity and life.
So when someone says any of these things about Ferguson, they are saying that black lives don’t matter, that we don’t have a right to get angry, and that we should not resist oppression.
But we will.
We encourage you to share the link to this rather than reblogging the entire post (since this is frequently updated and we want to minimize the spread of outdated info!): bit.ly/FergusonAEM
As the folks from Sexplanations say: stay curious! Know that this is just one drop in the bucket. We encourage you to do your own research and follow the links so you can make your own informed opinion.
I'm not from America so I don't get what happened to Brown...
Michael Brown, described by his teachers as a ‘gentle giant’, was an eighteen year old who had just graduated high school, saying to one of his friends ‘we made it' and telling him that “he wasn’t going to end up like some people on the streets. He was going to get an education. He was going to make his life a whole a lot better."
On the 9th of August, 2014, a Saturday, Michael and a friend, Dorian Johnson, whose account can be seen in the link, were walking down Canfield Drive to Michaels grandmothers house when a police vehicle cut them off.
According to Johnson, the police officer, named Darren Wilson "approached us, and as he pulled up on the side of us, he didn’t say ‘freeze,’ ‘halt,’ or nothing like we were committing a crime. He said, ‘Get the f—- on the sidewalk!’ I told the officer we were not but a minute away from the destination.”
The official reason the police officer approached them was because of jaywalking, which was stated by Police Chief Jackson: "Police Chief Thomas Jackson said Wilson did not initially make a connection between the robbery and Brown … Wilson stopped Brown and a friend because "they were in the middle of the street, blocking traffic," Jackson said."
What happened next is of contention - witnesses have their accounts as do the police and Darren Wilson - but what can be certain is that there was a physical struggle between Michael and Wilson, as there was Michaels DNA found inside the car
Wilson states "punches started flying" but I find it odd that a 289 pound, 6’4 man in his prime didn’t create more damage to Wilsons face. It’s odd that there is hardly any swelling when a man who is 80 pounds heavier than Wilson, and has the advantage of being outside the car, is punching the officers face so much so that Wilson felt like his life was threatened, no?
Brown was also UNARMED, as he reportedly stated numerous times to Officer Wilson.
The first shot was then fired, smashing the glass and Michael began to flee. At some point, Michael was hit in the arm and turned to face Wilson, his hands up and saying "don’t shoot" before being shot a collective six times, with one fatal shot to the head, including the eye.
Wilson estimated that "Brown ran 20-30 feet away from the car and then charged another 10 feet back towards him." But Brown died 150 feet away from the car. It’s impossible that he charged another 10 feet.
Wilson describing the altercation before Michael was killed: “The only way I can describe it, it [Michael] looks like a demon, that’s how angry he looked. He comes back towards me again with his hands up.” It. He called Michael ‘it’. And a demon. Does that not give some indication to what Wilson was thinking when he killed Michael?
@TheePharoah then tweets “I JUST SAW SOMEONE DIE OMG” with a link to a picture of Wilson standing over Browns body, but I will not link that.
Browns body was left on the street for 4 and a half hours. No ambulance was called. The police didn’t even let Michaels mother see the body of her son. She later talked to reporters at the scene.
In the later afternoon, this image of Browns stepfather went viral on twitter, holding a sign saying ‘FERGUSON POLICE JUST EXECUTED MY UNARMED SON’
Antonio French provided coverage via twitter and vine when no one else was in the hours after Michaels death (x) (x) (x) (x)
Peaceful Protests occurred in the following days on the streets of Ferguson. The protestors were blasted with tear gas and were ran out of the streets by a militarised police force.
A no fly zone was put into place, the media were forced to leave, and protests were banned by the police force in the next few days.
August 15th, Ferguson Police Dept. release a tape they brand as Michael Brown robbing a local convenience store by stealing $48 worth of cigarillos. Police didn’t include this footage which shows Michael Brown paying for the cigarillos. Wilson also didn’t complete an incident report, which is against the law.
Store owner states through his lawyer that he, nor his employees, called 9/11 about the ‘petty theft’ and that the Ferguson Police Dept. had requested the tape days after Michael was murdered.
Store owner attorney states: “Whatever the police are looking for on the surveillance tape, has nothing to do with what went on in the street.”
November 24th: After nearly four months of paid leave, in which time a fundraiser for Darren Wilson raised over $400,000, Wilson got married, a Grand Jury came to their decision to not indict Darren Wilson. Here is the transcript for those sittings, including every piece of evidence used. Here are all the ‘facts’. They had been hearing evidence since August 20th. A Grand Jury’s decision to not indict is extremely rare, about 0.006% of cases aren’t indicted as of 2010
Some other interesting links: Conflict of interest with the Prosecuting Attorney that hints at bias, the rarity of a Grand Jury not indicting, leader of the KKK admits to off the record contact with the police, Anonymous has evidence that Darren Wilson has a connection to the KKK, Darren Wilson racially profiled before he killed Michael Brown
If you want to help, there are a variety of ways you can: this campaign for bail for ferguson protestors, change.com petition against police violence, sign this ‘we the people’ petition, sign this petition to take the case to the supreme court, donate to Ferguson library which is open despite the schools being closed, watch livestreams and by spreading information of what’s going on in Ferguson - talk about DeAndre Joshua, 20, who was killed in the riots yesterday while in his car. Talk about Michael Brown. Spread information about the protests, about how to protect yourself from tear gas, about their innate human rights. Support the protestors, and support the black community.
I know I’m missing stuff, so if there is anything else I’m missing, or you think should be added, please do. If anything is found to be offensive, please message me and I’ll make changes to the links.
white kids are lucky they get the right to be rebellious; it’s just a phase for you, smoking weed and getting in trouble for petty shit. when you’re black, it’s a death sentence, allegedly stealing cigars and walking in the street is enough to take your life and leave you in the street for hours like a carcass
