The Michael Brown Shooting: Facts & Wilson's account

At this point we have various information from various sources. Some of it is anonymous - I reject anonymous sources until there is some corroboration with their story. I will briefly mention the store robbery, but the focus is on the shooting itself.

Timeline: Michael Brown Shooting In Ferguson, Mo

Saturday Aug. 9

11:48 a.m. to noon – An officer responds to a call of a sick person.

11:51 a.m. – Another call comes in about a robbery at a convenience store. The dispatcher gives a description of the robber and says the suspect is walking toward the Quick Trip convenience store.

12:01 p.m. – The officer [Darren Wilson] encounters Michael Brown and a friend as they walk down a street. Brown is shot to death as a result of the encounter.

12:04 p.m. – A second officer arrives on the scene followed by a supervisor one minute later. An ambulance responding to the earlier sick person call drives by and responds to assess Brown.

Keeping this in mind, also consider the report (PDF) from the store regarding the incident. This report documents the surveillance footage, as well:

The date and time stamps correspond to the video footage provided. The entire incident takes place on Saturday, 08/09/2014 between 12:52:58hrs and 11:54:00hrs

A note: the description of the footage in the report text (not mentioned here) deviates slightly from the actual footage, as much of what Brown allegedly took was placed by him back on the counter, and the remaining items on the floor seem to be what he ended up taking from the store.

Fitting into that is the timeline from the store:

08/09/2014 11:52:53 whi shirt b/m qt, box cigars
08/09/2014 11:55:06 NO ONE WALKING N/B IN A WHITE T-SHIRT.
08/09/2014 11:57:47 SUSPECT WEARING RED CARDS CAP, YELLOW SOCKS, W/ANOTHER MALE SUBJECT WALKING TOWARDS QT AT THIS TIME
08/09/2014 11:58:04 KHAKI SHORTS
08/09/2014 12:09:48 (blank) was advised
08/09/2014 18:54:26 STILL SEE NO ONE MATCHING THAT DISCRIPTION (sic)

Unless the person who called the robbery in was psychic, the clock on the camera must be some minutes ahead of that of the police log. The report also mentions two other related reports which I have yet to see: Ferguson Police Report #2014-12391 and St. Louis County Police Report #2014-43984.

I want to highlight this article, as it seems to be the first real testament of Wilson's account from a reliable source and has a lot of good information:
Shooting Accounts Differ as Holder Schedules Visit to Ferguson

Pruned from the above NYT article:

Officer Wilson, who was not responding to the robbery, had stopped to speak with Mr. Brown and a friend, Dorian Johnson. The Ferguson police chief, Thomas Jackson, said that it was around the time that Officer Wilson started talking to the two that he realized they fit the description of the suspects in the convenience store robbery.

So far, this account is plausible. However, it has changed a few times. Also, slightly odd is that they seemed to still be looking for a suspect until hours after Brown had been dead. I would have thought police would have put two-and-two together by that point, as Wilson allegedly did - or that Wilson would have told his fellow officers as much. Although,

law enforcement officials say witnesses and forensic analysis have shown that Officer Wilson did sustain an injury during the struggle in the car.

So perhaps he was otherwise indisposed, as some other mentions have been made of Wilson being taken or at least going to the hospital. During whatever happened at the vehicle, many sources have that the gun was fired once from within the vehicle. Supposing that to be the case, shots fired = 1. What happened during the shooting?

As Officer Wilson got out of his car, the men were running away. The officer fired his weapon but did not hit anyone, according to law enforcement officials.

At this point, we know two things are almost certain now:
1) Brown and Johnson ran from Wilson's vehicle.
2) Wilson left his vehicle and fired at least once as they were running; shots fired = 2 or more.

What we do not know is whether or not he was aiming at either of the two. We do know that no shots struck Johnson, and we do know that no shots struck Brown in the back, from the autopsy and report. Brown has at least two wounds on his arm that could have come from behind or from front - a wound to his thumb and a wound to his forearm, but let's go with all shots coming from the front for now. This introduces another fact:
After running some distance away from Wilson, Brown stopped and turned to face him.

According to his account to the Ferguson police, Officer Wilson said that Mr. Brown had lowered his arms and moved toward him, law enforcement officials said. Fearing that the teenager was going to attack him, the officer decided to use deadly force.

If Wilson says that Brown lowered his arms, then his arms must have been raised at some point.

Additionally, 'attack' is a broad term, but if Wilson thought Brown had a gun, I'm pretty sure he and the police would have mentioned that by now. In fact, there is never a mention of Brown being suspected of having a weapon, so I think we can conclude that Wilson thought Brown to be unarmed. We know that Brown was struck at least 6 times by bullets from the autopsy report, so shots fired = 8 or more.

Where did Brown die? According to the police:

St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar did say Brown was hit “multiple times” and died about 35 feet from the police car where the confrontation occurred

We know Wilson left his vehicle, but we don't know how far away Brown was from Wilson when he died. If he were standing beside his vehicle, Brown was a fairly long distance from Wilson when Wilson thought he was going to attack him and shot him. More likely, Wilson was much closer to Brown than to his vehicle. Some witnesses have said Brown was only several feet from Wilson when Wilson shot him, but it is not a known and released fact at present. This implies that Wilson pursued Brown and Johnson on foot as they ran.

And that's all the facts I've seen at present. I hope this helps clarify some things.

At around 11:48 am while an officer of the Ferguson P.D., a responsible citizen hard at work on the job, was responding to a sick person call, a self-proclaimed gangsta thug by the name of Mike Brown, was slamming a tiny little man to the ground while stealing cigars with which to use the drugs that were later found in his system, as shown on video which some people would love to ignore to push their agenda.

There, fixed that for you.

Looks like wfmy2news got some timelines wrong doesn't it.

The (USA Today/WFMY News 2 12:54 p.m. EDT August 20, 2014) link provided is dated Aug 20.

Hmmm.

Suspicious.

originally posted by: abe froman
At around 11:48 am while officer Wilson, a responsible citizen hard at work on the job, was responding to a sick person call, a self-proclaimed gangsta thug by the name of Mike Brown, was slamming a tiny little man to the ground while stealing cigars with which to use the drugs that were later found in his system, as shown on video which some people would love to ignore to push their agenda.

There, fixed that for you.

Wow. Someone actually started you for that pile???

Edit out the obvious rhetoric and what you have is:

At around 11:48 am while officer Wilson was responding to a sick person call, Mike Brown, was stealing cigars

a reply to: abe froman
The person responding to the distressed child was not Wilson, it was whoever arrived at the store.

a reply to: xuenchen
They have been updating the timeline as new things came out. It meshes pretty well with other sources (like the linked PDF of the report), so I used it here.

I would like to note that, so far as I am aware, warning shots are considered deadly force.

edit: This statute will be relevant in the future case (thanks, Domo1):

Law enforcement officer's use of force in making an arrest.
563.046. 1. A law enforcement officer need not retreat or desist from efforts to effect the arrest, or from efforts to prevent the escape from custody, of a person he reasonably believes to have committed an offense because of resistance or threatened resistance of the arrestee. In addition to the use of physical force authorized under other sections of this chapter, he is, subject to the provisions of subsections 2 and 3, justified in the use of such physical force as he reasonably believes is immediately necessary to effect the arrest or to prevent the escape from custody.

2. The use of any physical force in making an arrest is not justified under this section unless the arrest is lawful or the law enforcement officer reasonably believes the arrest is lawful.

3. A law enforcement officer in effecting an arrest or in preventing an escape from custody is justified in using deadly force only
(1) When such is authorized under other sections of this chapter; or

(2) When he reasonably believes that such use of deadly force is immediately necessary to effect the arrest and also reasonably believes that the person to be arrested
(a) Has committed or attempted to commit a felony; or
(b) Is attempting to escape by use of a deadly weapon; or
(c) May otherwise endanger life or inflict serious physical injury unless arrested without delay.

4. The defendant shall have the burden of injecting the issue of justification under this section.

I have to wonder if mike brown being dead will lead to a slightly lower crime rate in the future of ferguson.

"(White) Devil get up off my back
I knock you off your feet"- Mike Brown. Prophetic, huh?

a reply to: Greven



The errors. In your timeline. Officer wilson stops brown for jaywalking. He Is not aware of the report of the theft. He leaves brown and allegedky hears about the theft and considers browns descritiin then re approaches brown..

The store owner and ckerk didn't call in the theft so it was an anonynous call which is fishy for that area.

Apparently there is a struggle between brown and wislon throgh his car window (inexplicable that the officer pulles up that close) and during this srruggle a gun goes off in the car (yet brown body has no gun shor residue on it). Inexplicably again despite this extreme incident Brown walks awaynfrom the car to a distance then despite being unarmes and Wilson presumably exiting hos care armed at this time and not waiting on back up Bmthe unarmed brown allegedly charges the aemed and protected wilson who shoots him 6 time ay a distance (again no gsr on browns bosy).

None od it makes sense and they decide not reveal wilsons injuries until a week of riotinf and the nat. Gaurd comes in?

I qill be the dirst to say Nrown was a punk, bt the officer is a murderer. Its dishy. No denying.

originally posted by: GogoVicMorrow
a reply to: Greven








I qill be the dirst to say Nrown was a punk, bt the officer is a murderer. Its dishy. No denying.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Ignore all the typos, touch phone.
..
So you agree with me the shooting waa unjstified? Thaat would be our firat agreement.

a reply to: abe froman

was slamming a tiny little man to the ground

Well this didn't happen so your lying and nothing else you said can be taken as truth.


He did put his hands on him sure, but where do you get he was slamming him to the ground?

a reply to: abe froman

Pot stays in the system for weeks sobhe xoudlve smoked that day or weeks ago.

You make an assumption here. First even the police are still calling it an alleged theft. Definitelyb an assult, but maybe a theft. I didn't see him slam him to the ground just grab his shirt. Also people don't use expensive cigars generally they use 99 cent flavored blurnt wraps. I have a theory about the altercation but I need to know dorians age.

Finally, did th ey dind drugs on Browns body because you imply that.

Why can't tou just talk straight facst with us? Why the hyperbole andn made up aggeration is the officer your cousin? Why so much hate. As I've said before ibe had my run in with thugs that put me in the hospital, but I'm more afraid of cops. This was an unjustified shooting.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: abe froman

was slamming a tiny little man to the ground

Well this didn't happen so your lying and nothing else you said can be taken as truth.

Yeah I called that too. The only thing I can think for why he lies and uses hyperbole and exaggeration is because of hate.

a reply to: GogoVicMorrow If you are a heavy smoker it stays in your system for weeks, if it is infrequent use it will pass out of your system in just a few days.

I was wrong about the nature of the assault the huge bully Mike Brown committed, he didn't slam the much smaller smaller man to the ground during his theft and robbery, his cowardly act was shoving a much smaller man into a rack of chips (still during the course of a robbery,though). So go ahead and break out the Nobel peace prize for him.

The only thing i hate is knuckleheads defending the criminal, and people intimating others are racists because they don't agree with you, like yesterday when you couldn't debate a point you accused a member of being "a possible racist". When a little white boy is repeatedly playing the race card how do you expect to be taken seriously?

a reply to: abe froman

A first and only time you are looking at 7 to 10 days, regular amoker 3 -4 weeks. Andit stores in fat so that's a variable. Thats really neither here nor there.

You don't know that he was a bully. What if it was a one off incident. For all we know his friend tried to buy them, was under age and the clerk presumed they were for the friend when brown tried and an argument ensued.

Personal story, a friend of mine and I walked a mile to a beer store but I left my I'd. They stopped selling at midnight so we asked the clerk if we walked to get the I'd and returned if he'd sell (it was about ten till midnight) we booked it, walked into the store at 1202 and he refused. I had the beer in my hand and he yelled to put it back. I showed him my idea and still he refused. So I threw the money plus extra for a tip and we bolted while he callled 9/11. I was muxh younger then, but # happens.

They are still saying alleged theft ( I think robbery is hyperbole). I was called a acist for defending zimmerman if its happening to you its because of all your assumption against this black kid you don't know anything else about. That mightve been a one time thing because thr clerk was beingnrude for all you know. As stated, the clerk/store owner didn't call the police.

a reply to: abe froman

IM not defending a criminal. It looks like he was acting like a jer, but he obciouslywasn't doing it in an impersonal way.. the storw owner may have agged it on. If you notice the way the friend grabs Brown to calm him dow.

I'm not defending a criminal, I'm defending a murder victim. You wan to make it abiut 20 sexonds of his life where he acted like an ass rather than when he was unarmed and gunned down without justification.

Officer wilson stops brown for jaywalking

So the bottom line is if the two young men had followed the law and walked to the corner and crossed the street at the crosswalk this could have been avoided.(aside from the fact they had just allegedly robbed a store)

Secondly, when confronted by the police officer if they had acted like civil, law abiding citizens they would have complied with whatever the officer asked of them. Not gotten into a struggle.

The events of that day lay upon the shoulders of the two men breaking the law.

a reply to: tinner07



Kids play street hockey. I'm sure these guys weren't impesing a busy higheay.

Thw murder rests on the murderer

originally posted by: GogoVicMorrow
a reply to: tinner07



Kids play street hockey. I'm sure these guys weren't impesing a busy higheay.

Thw murder rests on the murderer

I doubt they were playing street hockey and probably not impeding a busy highway but you are "sure" of that how?
Obviously there was a least one car travelling on that street.

I see it a lot in the city, kids just walk out into the street, usually looking at vehicles because they know we will stop before we run them over.

Regardless you feel that 0 responsibility lies on the victim?