If you think that's all that happened then I don't know how to respond to you.

That's not all the happened. But you're thinking far more happened than actually did. And for some reason you think killing a guy for *kinda* beating you up? is grounds for murder.

Um. No Sir.

Let's see. First, I'm going by the officer's version of course. You have someone who doesn't obey a command. Alright, then they don't let you out of the police car. That's enough to go to jail already on top of being a thief. According to the cop, a struggle ensues. It's very quick, but during this he reaches for his gun and tries to fire it two times but it didn't go off because Brown's hand was on his gun. An aggressive person has their hand on an officer's gun. What is going to happen...Pray tell? Next, he does get a shot off and that must have hit Brown due to the blood in the car. Brown runs away and he gives chase because as we all know a officer is just going to let someone get away after assaulting them. For whatever reason Brown ends up stopping and turning around and going toward the cop. Repeatedly the cop commands him to get down and Brown doesn't. Multiple shots later Brown is killed.

Hhmmm. All over a little bruise on a cop's face. Please...

"obey a command" he asked them to walk on the sidewalk and they said no. Why would the cop keep badgering them? For what purpose?

The officer fired 12 shots total. So if he fired two while in the vehice, glancing Brown, that would mean he fired TEN at Brown while he was 100+ feet away.

That doesn't scream "BAD COP" to you?

nghtvsn,

You seem to be expressing a very low regard for life, and a very high regard for the rights of police to determine when to take a life. I think a life should be taken only as a last recourse, and while I agree that Brown escalated and caused much of this situation, I also think Wilson escalated and acted in a manner I would NEVER want a police officer to act.

Sir, he had Never fired his gun previously.

100+ Feet away but still moving toward the cop. He said he saw one hand in his waist band and the other maybe up in the air. Can't remember. So you have an already aggressive person coming BACK at you with one hand in their waist and ignoring commands to get down. I think the cop has no choice at that point but to bring him down (not to kill of course) but he obviously isn't a marksmen and so bullets went flying in order to stop him. Simple.

Again, you seem to present being in a dangerous situation as validation of taking someone's life. I simply don't agree. Also, there's lots of conflicting testimony, only one person to my knowledge said Brown charged at Wilson, and even then never got closer than 70 feet. Most people say he staggered toward Wilson, looking anything but aggressive, and likely in a state of shock.

I miss TonyMontana.

Why is a cop, who "obviously isn't a marksmen" carrying a gun only, and not a taser?

To me, I am not sure if the cop was only thinking of taking a life. He may also have been concerned for his own safety. Also as he never shot anyone before, and was previously attacked, unfortunately, he might have been in shock.

Reading more about the robbery that happened about 10 minutes earlier which was on tape. Brown actually pushed and shoved his way out of the way, when he was caught stealing. So two violent altercations in 10 minutes. Not smart at all.

The same people that say police shoot black people are against police have tasers as they will say it will lead to more police brutality.


However it cops had more tasters, there would be more cases of cops using them on black people, however at least there would be less deaths.

How do tasers work? How far and how accurate? And if a cop has a taser out, and someone pulls out a gun fast, won't the cop be defenseless?

Unlike the Zimmerman case, the cop had a a weaker reason to shoot Brown.

Most cops carry what is known as the X2. And the X2, like all other tasers vary in distance depending on what cartridge they use. The standard is far enough for an effective shot if someone is coming at you. You drop. Hard. Really effective.

Also has an HD camera attached which is great for evidence.

I believe Officer Wilson's story, and it seems to be borne out by the physical evidence. Michael Brown's friend, Dorian Johnson, is almost assuredly a liar.

The surveillance footage of Brown pushing and intimidating the convenience-store employee whilst stealing reveals his poor character and undermines any bid by his parents and friends to describe him as this gentle giant and angel. He was a strong-arm thief and a thug.

It is a shame Wilson could not tase and arrest Brown, and it is sad a life ended early, but it is what it is: a policeman was assaulted by a criminal, and he defended himself with his weapon. Apologies to the bleeding hearts, but Brown acted too madly and dangerously for me to consider his fate tragic or a heinous criminal act on Wilson's part.

To try to pin these lofty conversations regarding police violence and racial profiling on an absurd, lionized vision of Michael Brown (and a cartoon conception of Darren Wilson as a racist Dirty Harry) is foolish. And the looting is disgusting.

Well summarized and said.

David, I expected more from you. Even if everything in Wilson's story is true, Brown didn't deserve to die. His death is a product of a sadly violent national culture, poor police training, the militarization of a police force, and so many other things.

This country has issues. Issues with race, issues with guns, and issues with the mentality of our police force. The fact that you, or anyone, feels the need to go online and in any way justify this mans death makes me sick.

Why not justify the Tamir Rice shooting next, you're on a role!

The only reason that we are defending our side, is that your side is discussing none of the problems involved. Brown stealing, assaulting the store clerk, not following the cops order, assaulting the cop, through the cop car window, running away from the cop. And that was in a whole 15 minutes! Add in the stepfather, let's burn it down, or however he phrased it. And now, I see Sharpton on TV, just like he has for decades, complaining, but what has he ever done to better the lives of black people through support and education and hard work.

Lastly, as a law abiding citizen, all of the things done above really piss me off, and scare me. But still I am not happy he died, but in a incident like this, he did so many things wrong, that this wasn't a normal case.

That said, the one thing I agree with you on is poor police training, where they should be better trained and educated.

Wilson got smacked in the head previously by Brown, so who knows how Wilson was feeling? Concussion, eye trouble, and this was his first shooting, so, he did what he felt he needed to do?

Also could he thought Brown had or could have a gun, plus there was the other guy that was somewhere in back of him.

And he aimed for the head? Did all 12 shots hit him in the head? Guess that was he an expert sharpshooter?

I said 12 as I read that from someone else. First, I guess that included the shots in the cop car. And I just found out that he got hit by 6, with 2 in the head, and 4 in the shoulder and arm.

Seems to show he wasn't that great a shot, as that was his first shooting ever, and he was attacked already by Brown, with Brown going for the gun.

What is the "violent national culture" that you speak of? It seems to me like a bunch of cavil people peddle to make themselves sound righteous without saying anything. It is said so often, that people never question it, and thus nobody ever really puts much thought into what it means.

It probably guns or something. Plus Missouri has beer. So alcohol AND guns. Argument: Complete.

Also, could someone point towards the evidence that shows Officer Wilson was poorly trained? Is there a study somewhere comparing police training requirements in Ferguson compared to other cities with Ferguson's noted shortcomings? Could it simply be that Officer Wilson, rightly or wrongly, was properly trained, but when a violent struggle comes about, base instincts take over, training be damned? Or maybe he was trained extremely well and people simply don't follow their training perfectly in all situations all of the time. We aren't robots.

"Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth."

However, I am down with the militarization aspect. They aren't fucking members of SOCOM. But that, in this case, has more to do with the ensuing protests in Ferguson, rather than the shooting itself.

It was all in the heat of the night.

He needed to shoot early and often to take down the law-breaking 300 pound criminal.

Guess the criminal should have hit the ground, without the need for the cops bullets.

I have lots of problems with the actions of police, hitting suspects, over the top attitude, but I like others here, are on the side here of the cop who was just trying to do his job.

Not trying to be rude, but is English your second language?

"In the heat of the night" = "In the heat of the moment."

"Shoot early and often" in this context does not do your side of the debate any good. It posits a cavalier attitude on behalf of the cop. Also, if Wilson shot "early" that would not seem to be justified, no?

Because there are reasons and nuances to dig into. There are bruises and blood splatters, videos and varying accounts. I tried to the best of my ability to read through the heap of evidence, and I emerged siding with Wilson, a policeman defending himself, no doubt partly out of fear, from an imposing and violent perpetrator who had already beat him and gone for his gun.

You just want the death of Michael Brown to function as a polished and vague symbol of our Awful and Barbarous Culture so you can climb atop a soapbox and illustrate your well-cultivated, but ultimately unproductive righteousness.