Michael Brown shooting and civil unrest Goes Forth

[Lord Flashheart]

Continue..

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I'm here to acknowledge the Blackadder reference. :thumbsup: *silently praying that actually was a reference*

:leaving:

[Lord Flashheart]

Yes senp, of course it was. I mean look who posted it :)

[Suttree]

More witnesses emerging from the scene.

But there were two outsiders who happened to be working outside at the apartment complex on Aug. 9 — two men from a company in Jefferson County — who heard a single gunshot, looked up from their work and witnessed the shooting.

Both have given their statements to the St. Louis County police and the FBI. One of the men agreed to share his account with a Post-Dispatch reporter on the condition that his name and employer not be used.

The worker, who has not previously spoken with reporters, said he did not see what happened at the officer’s car — where Wilson and Brown engaged in an initial struggle and a shot was fired from Wilson’s gun.

His account largely matches those who reported that Wilson chased Brown on foot away from the car after the initial gunshot and fired at least one more shot in the direction of Brown as he was fleeing; that Brown stopped, turned around and put his hands up; and that the officer killed Brown in a barrage of gunfire....

.....About a half-hour later, the worker heard a gunshot. Then he saw Brown running away from a police car. Wilson trailed about 10 to 15 feet behind, gun in hand. About 90 feet away from the car, the worker said, Wilson fired another shot at Brown, whose back was turned.

The worker said Brown stumbled and then stopped, put his hands up, turned around and said, “OK, OK, OK, OK, OK.” He said he told investigators from the St. Louis County police and the FBI that because of the stumble, it seemed to him that Brown had been wounded.

A private autopsy showed that all but one of his gunshot wounds came while Brown was facing Wilson. Shawn L. Parcells, who participated in the autopsy, said one of the wounds to the arm could have occurred when Brown was facing away from Wilson. “It’s inconclusive,” he said. St. Louis County and federal autopsy results have not been released.

Wilson, gun drawn, also stopped about 10 feet in front of Brown, the worker said.

Then Brown moved, the worker said. “He’s kind of walking back toward the cop.” He said Brown’s hands were still up.

Wilson began backing up as he fired, the worker said.

[Davos OnionKing]

Doesn't seem like the militarization of police is going away anytime soon...

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Feds-Grant-Armored-Vehicle-to-SDUSD-Police-274549721.html

[Sci-2]

Witnesses say Utah man killed by police was running away, attorney says

A 22-year-old black man with a sword may have been running away when Utah police fatally shot him "numerous" times from behind last week, an attorney for the man's family said over the weekend.

The attorney cited independent autopsy results on Darrien Hunt's body that appear to contradict investigators' account of what happened outside a Panda Express in Saratoga Springs on Wednesday morning.

Officials said Hunt had "lunged" at officers with the sword before they shot him. But the attorney for Hunt's family, Randall K. Edwards, said the autopsy results found that "none of these shots were from Darrien’s front."

Hunt's death is likely to draw extra public scrutiny in the wake of the fatal Aug. 9 police shooting of another young black man, 18-year-old Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Mo., which prompted protests there and around the country.

Wednesday's incident began when officers were called to the restaurant after Hunt was seen walking around with a "samurai-type sword," according to a previous statement from the Utah County Attorney's Office. Hunt's family has described it as a harmless 3-foot souvenir sword with a rounded edge.

"When the officers made contact with Mr. Hunt, preliminary evidence suggests that Mr. Hunt brandished the sword and lunged toward the officers with the sword, at which time Mr. Hunt was shot," Utah County Chief Deputy Attorney Tim Taylor said in a statement.

But according to Salt Lake City attorney Randall K. Edwards, an independent autopsy conducted Saturday at the behest of Hunt's family showed Hunt had been shot "numerous times," none from the front.

"This is consistent with statements made by witnesses on the scene, who report that Darrien was shot to death while running away from the police," Edwards said in a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. "It would appear difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile these facts with the story released by the Utah County Attorney’s Office that Darrien was lunging toward the officers when he was shot. We continue to hope that a full investigation will reveal the whole truth about this tragedy."

[Winter's Knight]

I've seen it mentioned elsewhere that Hunt was cosplaying-hence why he was carrying an unsharpened samurai sword.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Police were given the authority to lie to suspects in the course of an investigation some time ago. I wonder how much that authority bleeds through to these situations? Would police culture remain the same if they lost the authority to lie to suspects in investigations?

[Sci-2]

I just think it's interesting one might be persuaded a corporation in America is more of a person than a black man in the eyes of the law.

[Ken Stone]

Police were given the authority to lie to suspects in the course of an investigation some time ago. I wonder how much that authority bleeds through to these situations? Would police culture remain the same if they lost the authority to lie to suspects in investigations?

Actually, little known fact ... if you ask a police officer if he is undercover they have to tell you the truth. True Story.

[TerraPrime]

Actually, little known fact ... if you ask a police officer if he is undercover they have to tell you the truth. True Story.

No.

However, in some cases, if the officer were not truthful when asked, it might lead to a susccessful defense of entrapment.

Snopes.

[aceluby]

Witnesses say Utah man killed by police was running away, attorney says

Fake gun or sword (or not armed) and black = death.

Drunk and brandishing a loaded gun while white = gets asked nicely to go home.

But it's not about race...

[Howdyphillip]

No.

However, in some cases, if the officer were not truthful when asked, it might lead to a susccessful defense of entrapment.

Snopes.

I think he was making a Breaking Bad reference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfF8OSlGhKk

[Sci-2]

Witnesses say Utah man killed by police was running away, attorney says

I just think it's interesting one might be persuaded a corporation in America is more of a person than a black man in the eyes of the law.

Black Man Killed By Police In Utah Was Reportedly Carrying A Toy Sword

A witness reportedly took another photo and sent to Susan Hunt, which shows police standing on either side of Darrien, though the sword is not visible in that photo.

“I’ve been begging the police, why from the time I saw the pictures of you just standing by him with his hands to his side, does he end up seconds later with a bullet in him?” Susan Hunt told the Deseret News. She added, “No white boy with a little sword would they shoot while he’s running away.” As the LA Times points out, Saratoga Springs is 93 percent white in the latest census figures, and a similar size to Ferguson, Missouri, at about 22,749 residents.

On Sunday, the police department posted a status update on its Facebook page that stated, “Everyone should remember that the news outlets have ratings they need to gain. They don’t report facts. They use innuendo, opinion and rumor and then report it as fact. The same thing happens here on FB and other social media. The real facts are being determined by an independent investigation, and not in a rushed or haphazard manner. … There is no coverup and there is no corruption.” The statement, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, has since been deleted.

In comments to the Guardian, the police department substantially changed their account of how Darrien Hunt was killed. The police now claim he lunged at the offers, was “shot at,” and then was shot several more times as he “headed north.”

[Sci-2]

The Black Man Shot by White Cops No One is Talking About

Crawford, age 22, was shot to death in the middle of the store by two white officers. Initial reports depicted Crawford as a menacing figure, who was waving a gun at other customers, and who ignored multiple orders from police to drop the weapon. Since then, eyewitness reports and security tape collected from the store’s camera’s tells a different picture.

Yes, Crawford, father to two young children, did have something in his hand, but it wasn’t a rifle or a shotgun. Rather it was a toy BB gun he had picked up from the shelves in the store to buy. From all accounts, it sounds a lot like the one my parents bought for me when I was about nine or ten years old.

The initial call to 9-1-1 by a customer indicated that Crawford was pointing the gun at customers. However, the statements taken since then from other customers, and the tapes reviewed by law enforcement officials, do not support this claim.

The Beaver Creek police chief claimed, immediately following the fatal shooting, that the officers had acted appropriately. More specifically, he says that they did what needed to be done in order to contain the situation, and to ensure the safety of other customers.

However, nothing in the security tapes suggests Crawford even heard the police order him to surrender the toy gun. It appears, according to the Crawford family’s lawyer, who has been given access to the tapes, that Crawford was never even aware the police were there, as he continued casually to speak on the phone until he was shot. The attorney also argues that there is no evidence on the tapes that the police gave any indication at all to Crawford to surrender, lay down the weapon or otherwise, before killing him.

Incidentally, Crawford’s family requested access to the security tapes following his death, but their request was denied for more than a month, under the pretense that letting them see the evidence would impact the investigation.

It’s also worth noting that, since the man who called 9-1-1 has also been shown the security tapes, he recanted his claim made during the emergency response call that Crawford had ever threatened anyone in the store with the BB gun.

[Howdyphillip]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ea801dccbeca4d42a06d4477fdb982a0/ferguson-demands-high-fees-turn-over-city-files

The city of Ferguson is now charging $135 ab hour for journalists to access files about the case. These people can;t do anything right.

[DanteGabriel]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ea801dccbeca4d42a06d4477fdb982a0/ferguson-demands-high-fees-turn-over-city-files

The city of Ferguson is now charging $135 ab hour for journalists to access files about the case. These people can;t do anything right.

Seems like it's more like they are determined to just do everything wrong, in the meanest, most petty and spiteful way possible.

[Trebla]

The Grand Jury hearing the Michael Brown case may have to dismissed because of a possible leak: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/grand-jury-ferguson-misconduct-michael-brown_n_5917298.html

If you look up the person who posted the possible leak on Twitter, Susan M. Nichols, you will see some racist ass shit screen shot that she's posted. She's not the one on the grand jury, he alleged friend is. But birds of a feather? I'm not hopeful that this case will ever go to trial.

[TerraPrime]

The Grand Jury hearing the Michael Brown case may have to dismissed because of a possible leak: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/grand-jury-ferguson-misconduct-michael-brown_n_5917298.html

If you look up the person who posted the possible leak on Twitter, Susan M. Nichols, you will see some racist ass shit screen shot that she's posted. She's not the one on the grand jury, he alleged friend is. But birds of a feather? I'm not hopeful that this case will ever go to trial.

People should riot, in full swing, if there is no indictment. This event warrants a trial, where all the evidence can be assessed in an open court.

[theprincethatwasntpromised]

People should riot, in full swing, if there is no indictment. This event warrants a trial, where all the evidence can be assessed in an open court.

I agree that a trial is warranted and every piece of evidence looked at, but inciting riots...come on man. And by everything, I mean everything. Not just the, "racist cop shoots gentle giant" narrative that was purposely being pushed.