When the Ferguson police department released the name of Darren Wilson, they also chose to release video footage which they claimed was of Michael Brown robbing a convenience store for some cigars.
The problem is, the video shows Michael Brown at the register, paying for the cigars.
From observation, it looks as if he had tried to buy more, but then was unable to afford it, hence why he left several packets on the counter. This prompted the store owner to come out from behind the counter and have a discussion with him, which prompted the shove witnessed in the full video.
Whatever words were exchanged between the man in the video and the store owner, they were not considered very serious, as the store owner nor the employees did not report a theft at the store. According to the stores attorney, the owners were bewildered when the police approached them demanding the surveillance tapes.
The store owners are now afraid of themselves becoming a target, due to the Ferguson PD’s attempt to tie their store to the fateful shooting. A gross abuse of police authority, one which now puts someone else at risk.
Even if Michael Brown were a petty thief, this does not excuse the cold-blooded shooting death of the 18-year-old. Of course the right-wing took the robbery claim at face value, and began labeling Michael Brown as a ‘thug‘ who did not deserve due process.
But instead it looked like he was a teenager who was enjoying a few cigars which he purchased at the local store. The store owners did not claim he stole from them. Video evidence shows him paying for the cigars found on him. The police attempt to paint Michael Brown as anything but a victim is a complete and total fraud.
Michael Brown was to start college last Monday, and was preparing to start his own business upon graduation. Officer Wilson cut short a promising young man before he could truly get his start in the world. It is a story so tragic due not to this isolated case, but for how common this is in America.
The United States is racing the results of decades of legitimized racism. Ever since President Reagan made it ok to bash the poor, so long as they were black, the progress in race relations in this country has been undone. Now we are facing the obvious result of this criminalization of African-Americans in the US. Is it not time to say enough is enough, and stop putting the blame on the victims?
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Sell this sob story somewhere else. Another thug is off the streets. I love these stories of how he was heading to Harvard and going to become the CEO of a fortune 500 company, oh and cure cancer also I am sure. No, we were looking at a hoodlum who would have spent a life on petty crime (at minimum), living off of taxpayers, all while fathering 5 kids with 5 different bimbo’s…..good riddance to bad garbage. No, I do not weep for him.
Any time a police officer knows that a person is big, capable off a good fight with the officer, they should be prudent, use their radio, call for help, and use large numbers to apprehend a suspect. They are not to be judge, jury, and executioner. Our police officers are suppose to be trained to recognize situations that could get out of control and back off to get help. There is just no excuse for this type of killing.