No, my parents are still coming. I just got a lecture that politics should not cause divides among family, as if *I* had told my brother that he was not welcome at Thanksgiving dinner.
When in fact I had texted my brother not 5 minutes before the call telling him I did not hold any hard feelings toward him and that if he changed his mind, he was still welcome to come to dinner.
What do the newly released witness statements tell us about the Michael Brown shooting? 3996 8832 +1 EMAIL BY LAURA SANTHANAM AND VANESSA DENNIS November 25, 2014 at 7:43 PM EST In the grand jury case against Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, the prosecution revealed that physical evidence weighed in Wilson’s favor and that he had not unlawfully shot 18-year-old Michael Brown to death.
Over the course of the investigation, federal agents interviewed dozens of witnesses—some compelled to come forward by subpoena—to piece together what happened on that August 9 afternoon. Shortly after the press conference announcing the jury’s decision, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch released the transcripts of interviews with witnesses and Wilson.
We read and analyzed more than 500 pages of witness testimony and compared each statement to those given by Wilson. Below is a chart comparing several key details of the officer’s report to the witness statements. Was Brown facing Wilson when he was shot, or was his back turned to him? Did Brown have his hands in the air, or were they reaching toward his waist?
table-finalfinalup4
The chart above doesn’t reveal who was right or wrong about what happened that day, but it is a clear indication that perceptions and memories can vary dramatically.
Here’s a breakdown of the data we found:
More than 50 percent of the witnesses said that Michael Brown held his hands up when Darren Wilson shot him. (16 out of 29) Only five witnesses said that Brown reached toward his waist during the confrontation leading up to Wilson shooting him to death. More than half of the witnesses said that Brown was running away from Wilson when the police officer opened fire on the 18-year-old, while fewer than one-fifth of witnesses indicated that was not the case. There was an even split among witnesses who said whether or not Wilson fired upon Brown when the 18-year-old had already collapsed onto the ground. Only six witnesses said that Brown was kneeling when Wilson opened fire on him. More than half of the witnesses did not mention whether or not Brown was kneeling. It is rare for authorities to release grand jury documentation, but the St. Louis County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney permitted the release of most of the documents on Monday, as The New York Times recently reported.
McCulloch highlighted the variations in witness accounts during the grand jury press conference. “In subsequent interviews with law enforcement, or their testimony before the grand jury, many of the same witnesses acknowledged that they didn’t actually see the shooting,” McCulloch said. “Some were running for cover. Some were relating what they heard from others or as I said, what they assumed happened.” But many witnesses held steadfast to their interviews. “Several other witnesses maintained their original statement that Mr. Brown had his hands int he air and was not moving toward the officer when he was shot,” McCulloch said.
Reading the witness interviews provides a revealing window into the grand jury’s investigation. What could a witness see while positioned a “few blocks” away from the incident, as in the case of Witness 30?
Witness 43, a juvenile who was listening to music at the time of the shooting, looked out the window and saw the incident. “I saw a man with his hands in a police car trying to snatch it away, and then he got away. [Officer Wilson] pulled out the taser and tried to tase him but he missed. Then he pulled out the gun and tried to shoot him and he missed. Then he ran down the street and then he shot him once and I stopped looking, but I heard like four or five more shots. Then when I looked back out there he was laying on the ground.”
With reporting by Ashira Morris, Adelyn Baxter, Ruth Tam and Travis Daub Ed. Note: The table has been updated to more accurately reflect the witness testimony of Officer Darren Wilson.
No, my parents are still coming. I just got a lecture that politics should not cause divides among family, as if *I* had told my brother that he was not welcome at Thanksgiving dinner.
When in fact I had texted my brother not 5 minutes before the call telling him I did not hold any hard feelings toward him and that if he changed his mind, he was still welcome to come to dinner.
I'm so sorry. The suggestion that politics shouldn't divide families is crap- basically, it means everyone else gets to express their opinion and if you don't agree with them, you should keep it to yourself and not rock the boat. Your text to your brother was the epitome of grace. It was big of you to reach out to him like that. I hope he comes around and you can smooth things over.
There was also the woman shot in Aug. the police immediately dismissed it as a rioter. The police never even talked to the woman, let alone investigate. If I remember correctly, they have misplaced the bullet they removed from her.
ETA: some people think she was hit by police
I wish I could remember this woman's name so I could google, but I don't. She was shot in the head during the first few days. Police called it a "drive by shooting." But when she was in the hospital they came to talk to her, ended up confiscating the bullet removed in surgery (apparently because it is no where to be found.) So it does sound like she was maybe hit by police gunfire.
If it's true, I'm not in the least surprised. No idea if it's conspiracy or probably truth though. I just really haven't seen more than one story on that and it was awhile ago.
There was also the woman shot in Aug. the police immediately dismissed it as a rioter. The police never even talked to the woman, let alone investigate. If I remember correctly, they have misplaced the bullet they removed from her.
ETA: some people think she was hit by police
I wish I could remember this woman's name so I could google, but I don't. She was shot in the head during the first few days. Police called it a "drive by shooting." But when she was in the hospital they came to talk to her, ended up confiscating the bullet removed in surgery (apparently because it is no where to be found.) So it does sound like she was maybe hit by police gunfire.
If it's true, I'm not in the least surprised. No idea if it's conspiracy or probably truth though. I just really haven't seen more than one story on that and it was awhile ago.
“No officer ever showed up to speak with me... neither from Ferguson police or St. Louis County," Mya Aaten-White told News 4.
So, that Wonkette post had a comment I didn't even consider. The pictures show the right side of his face, but he claims Brown punched him with his right hand. How is it possible to punch somebody on the right side of their face, with your right hand, while they're in the driver's side of a car?
So, that Wonkette post had a comment I didn't even consider. The pictures show the right side of his face, but he claims Brown punched him with his right hand. How is it possible to punch somebody on the right side of their face, with your right hand, while they're in the driver's side of a car?
I read this and look at your avatar, and I can't help but think that was the look on your face as you wrote it. Perfection.
So, that Wonkette post had a comment I didn't even consider. The pictures show the right side of his face, but he claims Brown punched him with his right hand. How is it possible to punch somebody on the right side of their face, with your right hand, while they're in the driver's side of a car?
Brown used his superhuman demon powers, of course.
So, that Wonkette post had a comment I didn't even consider. The pictures show the right side of his face, but he claims Brown punched him with his right hand. How is it possible to punch somebody on the right side of their face, with your right hand, while they're in the driver's side of a car?
"Atticus was trying to show, it seemed to me, that Mr. Ewell could have beaten up Mayella. That much I could follow. If her right eye was blacked and she was beaten mostly on the right side of the face, it would tend to show that a left-handed person did it."
A FB friend posted this. It came from the New York Post. The "Facts"?? Like the the "fact" that Brown hit Wilson on the right side of Wilson's face with Brown's right hand from outside the police car? I haven't followed the details enough to dispute the other "facts" but assume it is along the same lines?