Tag Archives: Michael Brown

Police Accountability, Videos

Peaceful Protests End In Violence As Gunfire Erupts On Anniversary Of Michael Brown Shooting

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Ferguson, Mo. – A day of peaceful protests commemorating Michael Brown, the 18-year-old unarmed man who was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson one year ago on Sunday, turned violent after gunfire erupted Sunday night leaving one man in critical condition.

Police claim that gunfire was initially exchanged between two groups of protesters, and that officers only engaged after one of the protesters opened fire on four detectives in an unmarked vehicle. They returned fire, and the man was critically injured.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that gunfire erupted after police officers had threatened to arrest any protesters who stayed in the street, and at that point protesters were “estimated at fewer than 100 and were outnumbered by members of the media.”

At a 2:30 a.m. press conference on Monday, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said that the groups exchanging gunfire “were criminals” rather than protesters, and that he believes there is a “small group of people out there that are intent on making sure we don’t have peace that prevails.”

The man injured by police has been identified as Tyrone Harris Jr., 18, from St. Louis. His father, Tyrone Harris Sr., told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his son went to high school and was good friends with Michael Brown, and that, regarding Sunday night’s shooting, he thinks “there’s a lot more to this than what’s being said.”

Belmar said that in addition to being in an unmarked vehicle, the four detectives were not wearing body cameras. This decision was criticized by coalitions such as the Ferguson Action Council, who said that “having plainclothes officers without body cameras and proper identification in the protest setting leaves us with only the officer’s account of the incident, which is clearly problematic.”

[RELATED: Ferguson Police Have Body Cameras… But Don’t Wear Them]

Reuters noted that the gunfire on Sunday night was in “marked contrast to a day of mostly subdued, peaceful commemorations” in Ferguson, where about about 1,000 people gathered together to share 4-1/2 minutes of silence in honor of the 4-1/2 hours Brown’s body lay in the street after he was shot, and to release doves and embark on a “silent march through Ferguson to honor Brown and others killed in confrontations with police.”

On Sunday night, a few local businesses were looted and robbed, and Post-Dispatch reporter Paul Hampel said that he was beaten and robbed while covering the protests.

Police State, Politics, US

Report: 2 People Shot After Demonstration Breaks Out In Ferguson

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KMOV.com

Ferguson, Mo. – According to reports, two people were shot late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning during a demonstration that broke out in Ferguson, around the area where Michael Brown was shot and killed by then-police officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014.

KMOV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis, reported that a man was shot in the leg Tuesday night, near the intersection of West Florissant Avenue and Canfield Drive. The man then ran to a nearby Chinese restaurant for help. According to reports, a second person was shot in the neck around 12:20 a.m. Wednesday on Canfield Drive, and was then taken to the hospital.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the man who was shot in the leg was among a group of about 50 protesters demonstrating on West Florissant near Canfield, and that while it was “unclear if the shooting was related to the protest,” police took a suspect into custody and recovered a gun.

KMOV reported that two suspects were arrested, and that in addition to other shots fired throughout the night, a Mobil on West Florissant was looted around 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, for the third time since August 2014, and five suspects connected to the looting were arrested.

The Post-Dispatch reported that protestors initially gathered on Tuesday night, chanting things such as “No justice, no peace” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho. These killer cops have got to go,” while police officers patrolling the scene told protesters they were “unlawfully assembled” and that arrests would be made and “chemical munitions” used against them, if they did not leave.

St. Louis Alderman Antonio French reported via his Twitter account that police were arriving in riot gear, and that demonstrators were throwing rocks at the SWAT vehicles as they arrived to the scene.

(The following video contains graphic language)

The Post-Dispatch reported that witnesses said they heard 15 gunshots around 11:50 p.m., and that although several of the protestors retreated after the gunfire, there was still a small crowd present around 1 a.m.

The demonstration in Ferguson comes at a time when protests are also breaking out in Baltimore, Md., following the unexplained death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died on April 19 from a severe spinal injury, while in custody of the Baltimore police.

After days of peaceful protests, riots broke out on Monday, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard.

The scene of demonstrators throwing rocks and other objects at police in Ferguson is reminiscent of the scene in Baltimore, where dozens of minors were seen throwing rocks at Baltimore SWAT officers on Monday, and at times, the officers were seen picking up the rocks and throwing them back.

 

Police State, Politics, US, Videos

BREAKING: Michael Brown’s Parents File Civil Lawsuit Against City Of Ferguson

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At a press conference on Thursday, the parents of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014, announced that they have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Ferguson, former police chief Thomas Jackson, and former police officer Darren Wilson.

Reuters reported that the Brown family is seeking “unspecified punitive damages, $75,000 in compensation and changes in policing,” and the lawsuit requests a court order “prohibiting the use of police techniques that demean, disregard, or underserve its African-American population.”

During Thursday’s press conference, the attorneys representing Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr. said pursuing the civil lawsuit will lead to new evidence that will show that Wilson should have been indicted and held responsible for Brown’s death.

The attorneys said that this lawsuit is a way to “challenge the police officers who kill people of color,” and they used the recent examples of shooting victims such as Walter Scott, and Tamir Rice, to highlight the fact that “the standard police narrative is contradicted by the objective evidence” in many cases.

USA Today reported that the lawsuit alleges “Wilson violated Brown’s civil rights through a deprivation of his right to unlawful detention and the use of excessive and deadly force,” and it accuses both the city of Ferguson and former chief Jackson of “failing to hire, train, supervise, retain, and conduct a fair and impartial investigation, alleging the police department had a custom or policy of negligently hiring and retaining officers, failing to property train and/or supervise officers in the use of deadly force.”

On March 4, the Department of Justice announced that it declined to indict Wilson with any civil rights violations in the shooting that killed Michael Brown on August 9, 2014. Both the initial shooting, and the decision not to indict Wilson led to protests and riots throughout the city of Ferguson.

Michael Brown’s parents originally announced that they would file the lawsuit during a press conference on March 5. During that conference, their lawyer Anthony Gray, maintained the fact that they have felt from the very beginning that “Officer Darren Wilson did not have to shoot and kill Mike Brown, Jr. in broad daylight in the manner that he did, that he had other options available to him.”

Just days before the announcement was made that Wilson would not be indicted, the DOJ released a report, which revealed that the police department in Ferguson, Missouri, exercised discrimination against the black community by using excessive force, issuing minor citations and making unnecessary traffic stops.

Civil Liberties, Featured, Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US

Michael Brown’s Parents Will File Lawsuit Against City of Ferguson, Darren Wilson

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On Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced that it will not charge Darren Wilson, a white police officer from Ferguson, Missouri, with any civil rights violations in the shooting that killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager on August 9, 2014.

Brown’s parents, Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr., have confirmed that they will pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against both Wilson and the city of Ferguson.

Anthony Gray, one of the attorneys representing the Brown family, spoke at a press conference on Thursday, and maintained the fact that the Brown family has felt from the very beginning that “Officer Darren Wilson did not have to shoot and kill Mike Brown, Jr. in broad daylight in the manner that he did, that he had other options available to him.”

“We are officially in the process of formulating a civil case that we anticipate will be filed very shortly on behalf of the family,” Gray said. “In our case, we plan to show and outline pretty much the same evidence; however, you will get a more clearer, a more accurate of what took place that day.”

Darryl Parks, another attorney representing the Brown family, said that the family is not surprised by DOJ’s findings, and that they were only choosing to file a lawsuit now, because they did not want to get in the way of the DOJ’s ongoing investigation before, and they are now “entering a different phase of this action.”

As previously reported, the DOJ’s decision not to charge Wilson with any civil rights violations in the shooting that killed Brown, comes at the same time as a report from the department, which revealed that the Ferguson police department exercised discrimination against the black community by using excessive force, issuing minor citations and making unnecessary traffic stops.

Federal law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that upon investigation, they found that 88 percent of the time use of excessive force was documented by Ferguson police, it was being used against a black individual, and that out of the city’s 53 police officers, only three were black.

Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US

A Texas paramilitary style group is organized in response to police brutality

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Police brutality has been in the majority of headlines over the past few months, but an organization in Dallas, Texas is responding with their own citizen patrols.

The Huey P. Newton Gun Club is a group which has united five Dallas paramilitary groups, all of which consist of black and Hispanic members, and their goal is to speak out on issues of police brutality in minority communities.

Charles Goodson, a 31-year-old Dallas local, and Darren X, a 48-year-old national field marshal for the New Black Panther Party, founded the group together after they performed an armed rally in the Texas town of Hemphill, where they protested what they believed to be a failed police investigation into the murder of Alfred Wright, a black man in the community.

“We accept all oppressed people of color with weapons,” said Darren X, according to VICE. “The complete agenda involves going into our communities and educating our people on federal, state, and local gun laws. We want to stop fratricide, genocide—all the ‘cides.” 

Two weeks after the death of Michael Brown in August, the gun club held a demonstration in Dixon Circle, a predominantly black neighborhood.

Dozens of gun club members stood at attention, holding AR-15’s and other rifles, while one of their leading members shouted, “No longer will we let the pigs slaughter our brothers and sisters and not say a damn thing about it.” The members of the club then responded with shouts of, “Black power!”

Russell Wilson, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Bureau Chief, has said, according to the Free Thought Project, he supports what the club is doing.  “They have an absolute right to do what they do,” said Wilson. He also said he believes the club is restoring some people’s confidence in their communities by saying they won’t be pushed around any longer.

Goodson, according to Reason, has stated he hopes the gun club can grow to become a “black alternative to the NRA.”

Politics, US

Nashville Police Chief Defends Decision Not to Crack Down on Police Brutality Protesters

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Following the highly-publicized and controversial officer-involved deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, protests erupted nationwide. In many cities, police responded to demonstrations with overwhelming force and military hardware, and rioters reacted by setting fire to storefronts and looting local businesses. However, Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson took a dramatically different approach, instead treating the anti police brutality rallies as a type of parade or community event. Consequently, no violence or property damage took place.

At one point, protesters took over I-24 and engaged in a technically-illegal die-in, inconveniencing Nashville drivers. Recognizing that arresting all of the protesters and clearing them from the roadway would elevate hostilities and take several hours to complete, Chief Anderson, channeling the Music City’s culture of politeness, blocked I-24 to protect the protesters and drivers. The demonstrators made their point and exited the roadway within around 20 minutes. However, detractors, who would have rather seen Nashville’s top cop unleash maximum force on demonstrators, complained about the Chief’s soft response. The Tennessean is reporting that Chief Steve Anderson issued a Christmas message on December 26 in which he responded to critics, and, in so doing, laid out his philosophy on law enforcement in which Nashville police are instructed to focus on community safety, rather than revenue generation and arbitrary crackdowns over political ideology. He also expressed his view that open-mindedness holds the key to a resolution of the core issues behind the police brutality protests and said, “It is only when we go outside that comfort zone, and subject ourselves to the discomfort of considering thoughts we don’t agree with, that we can make an informed judgment on any matter.”

Chief Anderson’s letter opened by thanking Nashville police and acknowledging that “not everyone will understand or agree with the manner in which we have responded during these demonstrations.” He told his subordinate officers, “As a member of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, you have responded to these events in a manner that clearly shows that this is a professional police department staffed by professional individuals who respect the points of view of all persons. Again, thank you for showing the Nashville public that, individually and collectively, they have a police department they can be proud of.”

However, he did not stop there. Anderson also included and responded to a letter from an anonymous detractor who complained that failing to arrest the protesters for taking over I-24 would lead to a collapse of the rule of law, endangering community safety. Nashville’s Police Chief said that the letter was representative of the views of people whose “thought processes are driven, not by what has occurred during the demonstration, but more by the social positions taken by the demonstrators.” He continued, “Clearly, they are more angry at the thoughts expressed by the demonstrators than how the demonstrations are being conducted. While I respect their right to take that position, we cannot allow those views to be a part of our decision making process. Decisions need to be made with a view toward what is best for all of Nashville.” Chief Anderson’s operating policy is to remain neutral on the political views of protesters in keeping with the First Amendment.

The critic also asked how he is supposed to teach his son to respect police who would allow protesters to get away with such lawlessness. The letter calling for a crackdown implied that Chief Anderson may have been ordered by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean not to arrest protesters.

Anderson responded generally by taking ownership of and standing by his decision, saying, “comparing the outcome here in Nashville with what has occurred in some other cities, the results speak for themselves.”

However, he also took the opportunity to explore a teachable moment regarding officer discretion in incidences in which minor violations of the law have taken place. He asked if the individual who wrote the letter would make the same complaint if he were issued a warning after committing a minor traffic violation. Chief Steve Anderson then confirmed a long-standing rumor by admitting that officers in his department institutionally give warnings rather than citations to citizens found clear of warrants and repeat offenses who commit minor traffic violations. Said Anderson, “In the year 2013, our officers made over four hundred thousand vehicle stops, mostly for traffic violations. A citation was issued in only about one in six of those stops. Five of the six received warnings. This is the police exercising discretion for minor violations of the law. Few, if any, persons would argue that the police should have no discretion.”

There is no doubt that Chief Anderson could raise significantly more revenue for the city if he ordered crackdowns on every minor offense and technicality, but his policing style is focused on community safety and harmony, rather than revenue generation. The below video contains footage of a police encounter with an officer from the Metro Nashville Police Department which was filmed by a Tennessee-based cop watcher.

Note in the video above that the cop watcher was given a polite warning about his non-functioning headlight, which could be a safety hazard, and was then allowed to go on his way. The two had a friendly, agreeable conversation about an incident in which Chief Steve Anderson criticized the Secret Service for asking his officers to fake a warrant, which they refused to do, in an effort to illegally search the home of an Obama critic.

The cop watcher in the above video had also previously recorded a July 4, 2013 stop in another county in Tennessee, in which officers appeared to coach a K-9 unit to signal the presence of drugs in an effort to conduct an illegal search. That video, seen below, went viral nationwide and demonstrates the difference between the conduct of police officers under Steve Anderson’s leadership in Nashville and others working in rural counties across the state.

Police Accountability, Politics, US

Grand Jury Witness 40’s Claim That Michael Brown Charged “Like a Football Player” Falls Apart

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In the debate over whether Officer Darren Wilson was justified or criminally culpable in the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown, the pro-Wilson narrative parrots an account that alleged that the physically larger Michael Brown charged at Officer Wilson “like a football player,” a claim that was made by grand jury Witness 40, whom St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch called in to testify. However, an exhaustive report on Witness 40, compiled by William Bastone, Andrew Goldberg, and Joseph Jesselli at The Smoking Gun, calls into question whether she was present on the day that the events occurred and what might have motivated her to fabricate her account. The above-embedded video, provided by Democracy Now!, includes an interview with William Bastone in which he goes into detail about his investigation into Witness 40’s testimony.

The report identified Witness 40 as 45-year-old St. Louis woman Sandra McElroy and paints her as a pathological liar with a criminal past. She reportedly made a variety of racist statements online, and her social media postings in the wake of Michael Brown’s death fit the pattern of an Officer Wilson supporter, rather than a witness to the shooting. McElroy, a fan of crime dramas, had previously offered herself as a witness to another criminal investigation which had generated significant media attention, though police assigned to that case dismissed her account as a “complete fabrication.”

McElroy waited until four weeks after the shooting to contact police. At the time at which she offered her testimony, Officer Wilson’s side of the story had been making its rounds in the media, and McElroy’s account mirrored the story detailed in those reports. She was interviewed first by St. Louis police and then by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who were so skeptical of her account that they pointed out the fact that she could face criminal charges for fabricating her testimony. Despite these red flags, Prosecutor Robert McCulloch called her to testify before the grand jury that would later opt against charging Officer Wilson in Brown’s death.

When FBI agents asked the Caucasian McElroy why she was in Ferguson, 30 miles from her home, on that day, she claimed that she had gotten lost while visiting a friend in the area and had stopped at the scene to ask for directions. However, at a November 3 grand jury hearing, she changed her story, saying that she would routinely “go into all the African-American neighborhoods” in an effort to improve race relations, and that, on that day, she planned to “go in and have coffee and… strike up a conversation with an African-American” in an effort to improve her understanding of the African-American community such that she could, according to a journal entry she provided to the grand jury, learn to “stop calling blacks n****** and start calling them people.”

The Smoking Gun‘s report also notes that McElroy at one point ran an online fundraising campaign to support Officer Darren Wilson, which she has since taken down. It is as-yet unknown as to whether or not her short-lived fundraising campaign generated any donations and what might have happened to the proceeds. An additional report by The Huffington Post argues that investigators made several mistakes while collecting evidence for the case, including failures to collect evidence in a timely manner and omitting basic steps like testing Officer Wilson’s gun, which Michael Brown allegedly grabbed, for fingerprints.

Police State, Politics, US

Agent Provocateur? Masked Cop, Uncovered by Oakland Protesters, Points Gun at Freelance Photographer

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On Wednesday, a police brutality protest spontaneously emerged in the Oakland, CA area in response to recent revelations that grand juries failed to indict the officers responsible for the controversial deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The demonstrators met on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley and marched throughout the streets of Oakland. According to KTVU, the group of around 150 to 200 protesters initially disrupted PayPal founder Peter Thiel’s talk at Berkeley before leaving campus and marching downtown. The crowd of demonstrators swelled in number as it moved through the city.

Later on, as the protest thinned down to around 30 to 50 people, protesters noticed two suspicious masked men, who, according to tweets by eyewitnesses, seen below and cited by SFGate, had allegedly been attempting to incite the crowd to commit acts of vandalism and banging on the windows of local businesses. The relative calm of the protests faded, and the demonstrations descended into chaos, as some among the crowd began looting and throwing rocks at shop windows. Angry demonstrators circled around the two masked men, believing them to be agent provocateurs sent by police to incite violence and discredit the protest. What happened next is in dispute and ended in a California Highway Patrol officer pulling out his service weapon on protesters and a photographer covering the protests for the San Francisco Chronicle.

A protester who identified himself as Dylan told KTVU that he grabbed a bandanna off of the officer’s face, exposing him to the crowd, and that the officer responded by assaulting a different African-American protester. Said Dylan, “I’m a white man, and I pulled off [the officer’s] mask, but they punched a black man… He got arrested.” Dylan said that the two masked men never identified themselves as police officers.

Freelance photographer Michael Short, who was covering the event for the San Francisco Chronicle, described what happened next at around 11:30 PM in comments to SFGate, “Just as we turned up 27th Street, the crowd started yelling at these two guys, saying they were undercover cops… Somebody snatched a hat off the shorter guy’s head and he was fumbling around for it. A guy ran up behind him, knocked him down on the ground. That guy jumped, backed up, and chased after him and tackled him and the crowd began surging on them… The other taller guy had a small baton out, but as the crowd started surging on them, he pulled out a gun.”

The officer then pointed his gun, held sideways, directly at Michael Short, who snapped a photo of the tense moment. 

The bandanna-wearing officers were later identified as working for California Highway Patrol. CHP Golden Gate division Chief Avery Browne told KTVU, “[The officer] told me he didn’t know if he was going to make it out alive… They were outnumbered, they were assaulted, and at that point, two officers were not going to be able to arrest 30 or 40 or 50 individuals.” Chief Browne confirmed that his division did send what he referred to as “plainclothes” officers to keep an eye on the protest and that they were wearing bandannas on their faces in order to blend in with others in the crowd, but claimed that they were not there to incite protesters and that he had not heard any reports alleging that the officers were encouraging violence. Said Browne, “We put plain-clothes officers in the crowd to listen and gather information.”

Chief Browne said that he will continue to send plainclothes officers out among protesters, despite the outcome in this incident, and told SFGate, “We know it’s upsetting, we know it’s disturbing, every time a firearm is drawn, whether in a protest situation or in a felonious car stop… But we need to understand that these officers were under attack.” The individual accused of punching the bandanna-wearing officer has been arrested for felony assault on a police officer. 

Chief Browne is not releasing the names of the officers involved and says that they remain on duty. The incident has raised questions about whether or not it is appropriate for on-duty police officers to attend protests wearing masks over their faces, considering the fact that it is typical for protesters to interpret such police tactics as efforts to provoke violence through the use of agent provocateurs. 

As a nationwide debate rages over increasingly-militarized police tactics, Ben Swann just released a new Truth in Media episode on the root of police militarization. Watch it in the embedded player below.

 

Politics, US

Law school students can ask for final exams to be postponed

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Columbia Law School is allowing students to ask for their final exams to be postponed if the student says they felt traumatized or disturbed by the decisions not to indict police officers in Missouri and New York for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

Robert E. Scott, the interim dean for Columbia Law School, sent an email on Saturday saying, according to Buzzfeed, “Students who feel that their performance on examinations will be sufficiently impaired due to the effect of these recent events may petition Dean Alice Rigas to have an examinations reschedule.”

The email also says, “For some law students, particularly, though not only, students of color, this chain of events is all the more profound as it threatens to undermine a sense that the law is a fundamental pillar of society designed to protect fairness, due process and equality.”

Yahoo News is also reporting a trauma specialist and several faculty members are holding special office hours for any student who wants to discuss the decisions or needs support.

The decision to allow students to postpone their exams comes after a student organization called for the exams to be put on hold.  According to FOX News, an email sent to the school board says many of the same legal principles the students had learned about were being used to “deny justice to so many black and brown bodies.”

The letter the group wrote was posted online and part of it reads, “We sit to study with the knowledge that our brothers and sisters are regularly killed with impunity on borders and streets; we sit to study with the understanding that our brothers and sisters are marching to have our humanity recognized and valued by a system that has continually failed us.”

While many students disagree with the postponement of their fellow student’s exams for these reasons, a spokeswoman told the NY Post, students have been allowed to postpone their exams over “extenuating conditions, including illness, religious observance, bereavement and other exceptional and documented circumstances.”

Police State, Politics, US

Alice in Chains Singer Says Cops Detained Him, Accused Him of Breaking into His Own Home

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According to the music news site Loudwire, Alice in Chains vocalist William DuVall, who took over as the band’s lead singer following the death of Layne Staley, recently described an incident, which he claims happened around five years ago, in which police allegedly detained him for 30 minutes at his own West Hollywood home, as he was pulling into his garage, under suspicion that he was about to break into it. He says that police held him despite the fact that his driver’s license confirmed that he lived at the address. He believes that his detention was racially motivated.

Following a grand jury’s decision not to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the choking death of Eric Garner, a Twitter discussion on racial disparities in the criminal justice system emerged under the hashtag #AliveWhileBlack. Alice in Chains frontman William DuVall contributed to the discussion on December 4 with the below tweet, describing the alleged time when he was profiled by police.

When some news outlets reacted to the tweet by reporting that the detention had just taken place, DuVall clarified that he was referring to an incident that had occurred in the past.

He offered further comments on Facebook discussing racial disparities in the criminal justice system, saying, “I was inspired to recount [the detention] after reading the many ‪#‎AliveWhileBlack‬ and ‪#‎CrimingWhileWhite‬ posts coming up on Twitter yesterday. In my view, those entries provide one of the most riveting illustrations of the dichotomy at the heart of America that I have ever seen. What really struck me is the fact that those stories flooding in by the thousands are merely a fraction of the millions more we will never hear. These are the ‘small’ stories, the ‘everyday’ stories, the ones so deeply woven into the fabric of our lives that they almost become mundane. And therein lies the true nature and scope of the problem… Because what’s most tragic and sobering to me about ALL of these stories – whether they fall into the more graphically horrific category of an Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, or Michael Brown or whether they are of the more ‘mundane’ variety like many of the ones currently being shared on Twitter, including my own – is that, almost without exception, any of them could have just as easily taken place 50 years ago.”

A Facebook user replied to DuVall’s post, saying, “I’d bet there’s more to this story and a legitimate and articulable reason as to why you were detained.”

DuVall replied, “If by ‘more to the story’ you mean the fact that I’m a law abiding citizen with no criminal record whatsoever, zero history of any criminal activity, who pays plenty in taxes every year, who dared to pull into my own driveway after a day of work and running errands, then, yes, you’re right, there is more to the story. My bad.”

DuVall ended his comments on a positive note, saying, “We have made tremendous strides as a nation, many of them in my own lifetime. I remain extremely proud of that. In the name of our ancestors who sacrificed so much to get us here and our children who will inherit this earth in our wake, we can’t afford to idle and we can’t fall back now. We have before us a golden opportunity to take yet another step forward. For all our sakes, I sincerely hope we seize it.”

US

Michael Brown’s stepfather may face criminal charges

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Police and investigators are currently considering charging Michael Brown’s stepfather, Louis Head, for attempting to incite a riot after it was announced Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the shooting death of Brown.

After the announcement against indictment came late on Nov. 24, various videos taken near protests in Ferguson show Head shouting “burn this bitch down.”

Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson told Sean Hannity, “We are pursuing (an investigation into) those comments, and there is a lot of discussion going on about that right now… But I really can’t get into that…”

Head is also not being singled out, according to CNN.  Ferguson spokesman Jeff Small said Head is one of many people currently being investigated for their part in the lead up to the riots, looting, and the various arson cases following the announcement.

Benjamin Crump, the lawyer representing Brown and his family, has called Head’s rants prior to the rioting inappropriate at the time.  However, Crump also said, according to USA Today, he does not condemn Head’s reaction to the announcement because of the large amount of emotional stress the family was under at the time.

Lesley McSpadden, Brown’s mother, also told CNN she does not think her husband’s words or actions incited a riot, but said the emotions in the area were building up since her son was shot on Aug. 9.

Since the investigation has started, Head has come forth and said he apologizes for his comments after the announcement.  According to ABC News, Head said, “Something came over me as I watched and listened to my wife, the mother of Michael Brown Jr., react to the gut-wrenching news that the cop who killed her son wouldn’t be charged with a crime… My emotions admittedly got the best of me.”

Ben Swann reported from Ferguson this week and talked about the importance of understanding the proximity of Brown’s stepfather to the buildings that actually burned. In the video below, Swann explains why it would be very difficult to claim that the stepfather was “inciting a riot.”

Politics, Swann TV, US

New York Grand Jury May Not Indict Officer Who Choked To Death Eric Garner

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A grand jury is close to reaching a decision on whether or not to charge a New York City Police Department officer for killing African-American Eric Garner for selling cigarettes.

Though the case sparked nationwide outrage in July, some believe the officers involved may be cleared of wrong doing, as was the case with the Ferguson Police Department’s Darren Wilson.

Ben Swann discusses with Sunsara Taylor of World Can’t Wait.

Politics, US

Darren Wilson Resigns from Ferguson Police, Will Not Receive Severance Pay

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Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown during a confrontation on August 9, announced that he was resigning from the police force in Ferguson, Missouri, on Saturday.

Wilson’s resignation letter stated that he was leaving the force, due to the fact that he had been told his employment would put both the residents and the police officers of Ferguson at risk:

“I, Darren Wilson, hereby resign my commission as a police officer with the City of Ferguson effective immediately. I have been told that my continued employment may put the residents and police officers of the City of Ferguson at risk, which is a circumstance that I cannot allow. For obvious reasons, I wanted to wait until the grand jury made their decision before I officially made my decision to resign. It was my hope to continue in police work, but the safety of other police officers and the community are of paramount importance to me. It is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal. I would like to thank all of my supporters and fellow officers throughout this process.”

Last week, the Grand Jury announced that they would not indict Wilson for Brown’s murder, sparking outrage in the city of Ferguson, which went beyond the protests that were held following Brown’s death in August.

According to NBC News, although Wilson resigned because of “credible threats” to both the department and its officers, Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson “didn’t press Wilson to resign.”

Yahoo News reported that prior to the threats, the city of Ferguson was “already discussing an exit strategy,” and had acknowledged that Wilson “staying on as an officer there would be impossible.”

Following Wilson’s resignation, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles announced that Wilson will not receive any further pay or benefits, and that he has “severed ties” with the city.

According to ABC News, although Wilson was “cleared of criminal charges by the Grand Jury,” the Justice Department is “conducting a civil rights investigation into the shooting as well as a separate probe of police department practices.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Wilson’s wife, Barbara Spradling, a 12-year-veteran of the Ferguson police force who he married on October 24, has been asked by the department to also resign, but “she has so far declined to do so.“

Featured, Politics, US

Nashville Police Chief Refuses to Crack Down on Ferguson Protesters, No Violence Ensues

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“In Nashville, if you want to come to a public forum and express your thoughts, even if they’re against the government, you’re going to get your First Amendment protection, and you’re going to be treated fairly by the police officers involved. That’s what we do here in Nashville,” said Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson in comments to WKRN-TV 2, reflecting on his department’s response to Ferguson protests last Tuesday.

Chief Steve Anderson, who made news in October when his department refused to cooperate with Secret Service agents who asked Nashville police to falsify a warrant so that they could search the home of an Obama critic, is making headlines again for his unique approach to dealing with protesters angry about a grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson, MO Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed African-American teen Michael Brown. Rather than confronting protesters with militarized hardware, tear gas, and rubber bullets, Nashville police treated the protest more like a parade or community event, essentially providing security while protesters made their statement.

Incidentally, the protests, though they were emotionally-charged and attended by 450 people, did not descend into the type of violence, rioting, and looting that has been seen in other cities. Said Chief Anderson, “We had people that took to the streets, took to the forums to express their thoughts, their ideas, and they were extremely well-behaved. We had no incidents of any vandalism of any violence of any type. What I noted [is] that people were even picking up the trash that they had left behind at the scene.”

On Monday, prior to the announcement of the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, Police Chief Steve Anderson and newly-elected District Attorney Glenn Funk, who won his election in a campaign that promised a focus on hardened criminals rather than good kids who make mistakes with drugs, scrambled to meet with clergy leaders in the African-American community, listening to concerns and creating relationships with those who would become leaders in the following day’s protest.

Chief Anderson’s police force met protesters with hot chocolate and bottled water, rather than tear gas, marched alongside them, and ran the type of security that one might expect in a civic parade, communicating on an ongoing basis with protest leaders. At one point, protesters charged up an on-ramp and took over Interstate 24 over the objections of Nashville police. Chief Anderson made a controversial real-time decision, opting not to arrest protesters, and ordered officers to shut down I-24 temporarily, allowing demonstrators to make their statement by lying down on the roadway while drivers waited. Consequently, protesters were cleared off the roadway within twenty to twenty-five minutes. Anderson acknowledged that the incident did inconvenience Nashville drivers, but no more so than a car accident or other situation in which police sometimes block the roadway to protect citizens’ safety.

“We could have moved in and made arrests, but to do that you have to do that one by one in a very careful manner… We would have been there two to three hours,” said Chief Anderson, explaining his decision not to arrest protesters for taking over I-24 in comments to WKRN-TV 2. “Last night’s event went very well and I hope that all of Nashville is proud of not only the law enforcement response, but the response of the citizens involved and that we have set an example for the nation.”

Chief Anderson’s comments about Nashville’s Ferguson protests can be seen in the above-embedded video player, provided by Nashville News.

Featured, Politics, US

Post-Shooting Darren Wilson Photos, Grand Jury Documents Released

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Photos of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, reportedly taken shortly after he fatally shot Michael Brown, have been released to the public by the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office.

In addition to the photos, numerous documents and pieces of evidence that were presented to the Grand Jury have also been released to the public, available to read here.

 

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St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office/CBS
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St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office/CBS
St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office/CBS
St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office/CBS
St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office/CBS
St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office/CBS
Featured, Police State, Politics, US

FERGUSON: No Indictment for Officer Wilson in Michael Brown death

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FERGUSON, Missouri, November 24, 2014– Monday night, a grand jury decided not to indict officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown.

Previous to the public announcement, police have been anticipating an eruption of violence. Multiple reports of police commentary began to flood the internet as on location journalists and citizens listened to police scanners. As the announcement was made, protesters mostly breathed a sigh of disappointment and turned to walk away. So far, no violence has been witnessed.

Reports of the grand jury’s decision began to leak approximately 15 minutes before the official announcement.  

Follow Michael Lotfi on Facebook & Twitter for more live updates.

UPDATE:

Police State, Politics, US

As Grand Jury Decision Looms, Officer Darren Wilson Negotiates Potential Resignation

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On August 9, unarmed Ferguson, MO teen Michael Brown was shot to death by Officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson Police Department, an incident that was seen as the tipping point that pushed tensions between the local community and police over the edge. Now, the grand jury assigned to the case is closing in on making a decision about whether to indict Wilson for the shooting and could do so at any moment.

Considering the intensity of the spontaneous protests that broke out following Brown’s death, city and state officials fear that, if the grand jury declines to charge Officer Wilson, civil unrest could follow. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has activated a 30-day state of emergency and readied the National Guard in advance of the grand jury’s announcement. If the decision were to come today, prosecutors would likely delay publicizing the announcement for 48 hours in order to give law enforcement officials time to make preparations. During that time, prosecutors also plan to remain in contact with attorneys representing Michael Brown’s family.

Meanwhile, CNN is reporting on sources close to the case that say that city officials and Officer Darren Wilson are negotiating his potential resignation, a move that could be aimed at dimming tensions in the event that Wilson does not face charges. Wilson reportedly told associates that he might be willing to resign to calm hostilities between the local community and police, but fears that doing so prior to a grand jury announcement could give the impression that he is admitting fault in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Officer Wilson continues to maintain his innocence.

Eff Roorda, business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association told FOX 2 St. Louis that he “doesn’t think” the grand jury will charge Officer Wilson. Chief Tom Jackson of the Ferguson Police Department, who has said that Wilson could come back to work if the grand jury does not hand down an indictment, claimed that he was unaware of any talks regarding Wilson’s potential resignation. Mayor James Knowles said of the rumored negotiations, “Nothing has been decided.”

According to CNN‘s sources, the resignation negotiations could break down at any time, especially if the grand jury were to bring charges against Wilson.

The City of Ferguson has announced that its mayor and police chief will not be conducting any further interviews about the case until the grand jury makes its decision. Officer Wilson is currently on paid administrative leave and, if he were to continue working with the Ferguson Police Department, would have to face two rounds of psychological evaluation.

On Thursday, Michael Brown’s father called for supporters to remain calm in the event that the grand jury does not indict Wilson. He said, “My family and I are hurting. Our whole region is hurting. I thank you for lifting your voices to end racial profiling and police intimidation, but hurting others or destroying property is not the answer… No matter what the grand jury decides, I do not want my son’s death to be in vain. I want it to lead to incredible change — positive change — change that makes the St. Louis region better for everyone.”

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson told CNN, “We’ve had three months to prepare [for the grand jury’s announcement]. … Acts of violence will not be tolerated. Our intelligence is good. Our tactics are good. We can protect lawful people and at the same time arrest criminals.”

Ben Swann reported live from Ferguson on RT last week. Check out his coverage in the below-embedded video player.

International, Police State, Politics, US

Michael Brown’s Parents Testify Before U.N. Committee Against Torture

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On Tuesday, Michael Brown Sr. and Lesley McSpadden addressed the United Nations Committee against Torture, in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of a delegation of human rights advocates, in an attempt to raise awareness about the death of their son Michael Brown.

Although he was unarmed, Michael Brown (18) was shot and killed by Police Officer Darren Wilson (28), during a confrontation on August 9, which sparked riots that were met with a militarized police force in the town of Ferguson, Missouri.

According to CNN, the teenager’s parents reached out to the U.N. Committee against Torture, which “works against cruel or degrading treatment or punishment by government authorities,” because they want the world to know “what’s going on in Ferguson.”

“We need answers and we need action,” said McSpadden. “We have to bring it to the U.N. so they can expose it to the rest of the world, what’s going on in small town Ferguson.”

Michael Brown Sr. said they hoped to offer an outlook “on what’s going on in the United States and all over the world with the police, police brutality, no justice.”

Regarding their trip to Geneva, McSpadden said that it had been a “great experience.”

“We’ve been received very well,” said McSpadden. “They’ve given us a lot of love and support since we’ve been here. Everything seems to be positive.”

As the grand jury determines its verdict on whether Wilson will be indicted on murder charges for Brown’s death, Ferguson residents prepare for the worst.

ABC News reported that Metro Shooting Supplies, a store in a town near Ferguson, “has been selling between 30 and 50 guns daily,” for the last three weeks, which is a “nearly 300 percent increase” over regular sales of 10 to 15 guns per day.

According to the Huffington Post, while Brown’s parents are saying “Wilson got away with murder,” and they are calling “for his immediate arrest,” they are also asking Ferguson residents to “pause, plan and prepare” in response to the grand jury decision, rather than acting out impulsively.

“We don’t want anyone acting irrational or acting before thinking,” said McSpadden, who went on to say that those actions wouldn’t serve a purpose. “We’re trying to get a message across,” McSpadden explained.

USA Today reported that Brown Sr. and McSpadden believe that if Wilson is indicted, it will “send a message around the world that police must change their tactics.”

“We are praying for an indictment,” said McSpadden. “To me that would mean that the police did do their investigation fairly and it was unbiased.”

When asked about life after the death of their son, Brown Sr. told CNN that he and his wife are staying strong.

“It’s a situation where I’m surprised we haven’t even lost our mind yet,” said Brown Sr. “But we’re being strong. Hopefully, justice will prevail.”

Election, US

Rand Paul visits Ferguson, urges people to vote

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After another shooting a few days ago of a second black citizen by police officers, Sen. Rand Paul went to Ferguson, Mo. Friday, to meet with black leaders in the area, including leaders of the local NAACP chapter.  

While in Ferguson, Paul took part in a 45-minute “listening session,” which has been described as a more informal question and answer session.  Paul was joined by local pastors, business owners, and representatives from other social change groups, such as the Urban League, at this session.  

“I came to Ferguson today to listen to leaders in the community and to learn more about how we can fix the problems of criminal injustice together,” said Paul, according to the Daily Caller.

During the session, one person asked Paul if he thought a more diverse policing force would help with the issue of racial tensions between police and black communities across the country.  Paul responded by saying if people wanted to see change, they should vote appropriately at the ballot boxes.

“My opinion is they have a great deal of power and if they wanted an African-American police chief they’d get it in one election if they just go vote for the mayor and register people,” Paul said, according to Politico.  “Violence gets nowhere and it actually sends us backwards… If that energy, and some anger, if that were channeled into registering voters and getting people out to vote, then you can have constructive changes.”

After Michael Brown was shot over the summer in Ferguson, about 3,200 people in Ferguson, which is about a seventh of the population, have registered to vote in the upcoming elections.  

Liberal registration booths were setup near where Brown was shot in Ferguson, and this has made some Republicans upset, saying this has only fanned “political flames.”

Paul on the other hand, has said he is not concerned about party lines and simply wants to get more people to vote. 

Opinion, Police State, Politics, US

LOTFI: Missouri Governor speaks out- Adds fuel to fire in Ferguson unrest

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MISSOURI, August 20, 2014– As we watch the unrest unfold in Ferguson, Missouri, which has been ongoing for almost 10 days now, regarding the death of a teenage boy, we might think we are watching a scene from the Middle East. We see journalists in combat gear, tear gas filling the air, and many people have come to conclusions before knowing the facts of the case, or letting it be decided before a court of law.

Tuesday night, in a statement to the press, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon  expressed his sympathy for the family of Brown. In the same statement he also “a vigorous prosecution must now be pursued.” Many would see this as taking sides and pleading his case to the public who may be charged with deciding a case in a court of law without knowing the facts. While this may be politically savvy for Nixon, it is wrong and gives the impression that the young officer Darren Wilson is guilty before having the chance to defend his actions undermining our legal system.

“The democratically elected St. Louis County prosecutor and the attorney general of the United States each have a job to do,” Mr. Nixon said. “Their obligation to achieve justice in the shooting death of Michael Brown must be carried out thoroughly, promptly and correctly, and I call upon them to meet those expectations,” said Nixon.

Many may agree with Nixon’s statements on the surface. However, in his speech, Nixon completely undermines the rule of law. Details remain blurred at best. However, Nixon instigates that the “Brown family must receive justice”. By delivering this statement, Nixon has named himself judge, jury and executioner, and has all but ensured a fair trial will not ensue.

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