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Updated 7.19am
YOU WILL NO doubt be aware that something is happening in a town called Ferguson, Missouri at the minute.
Late last night, the decision was made not to press charges against a police officer who shot dead a black teenager back in August. A grand jury sworn in to investigate the matter found that the police officer had acted in self-defence.
Reaction in Ferguson – and across the US – has been swift. Major protests have broken out in the Missouri town in what was already a fragile situation.
The St Louis suburb, with its population of 20,000, was turned upside down in August by the shooting, with rioting, looting, racial tensions and accusations of militarisation of a police force already not trusted by the majority of the population.
So, what’s going on?
There was someone shot, right?
Yes. The starting point for the tensions came on 9 August. At 12pm on a Saturday afternoon, Michael Brown, a black teenager from the town, was stopped by a white police officer Darren Wilson.
Reports on what happened next vary, but the result was that unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot at least six times and killed by the six-year police veteran.
Wilson fired at least once from his squad car.
And that sparked protests?
Unsurprisingly, residents of the town of Ferguson, which is 67% black, were not happy that an unarmed teenager was shot by a police officer.
The following day, looting broke out. This was put under control, but protesting, rioting and clashes with police went on nightly for the rest of the week week.
Police were criticised for their heavy-handed approach, arresting journalists, firing tear gas and not diffusing any of the tensions.
They even tear-gassed a state Senator who represents Ferguson. She was not happy with the Governor.
Is Ferguson always like this?
No, but there is a racial divide.
Mayor James W Knowles III has been quoted as saying that there is no racial tenions in the town, which is majority black.
However, this is disputed by a number of black people, particularly young men.
While things like tensions are hard to quantify, we do know that Ferguson PD stops far more black motorists, despite whites being found with contraband far more frequently.
One resident told the Washington Post that finding a black man in the town who trusts the police would be like “finding a four-leafed clover“.
The racial tensions are deep, with the Mayor, five of six council members, the police chief, the entire school board and 40 of 53 police officers white in a town that is 67% black.
Darnell Hunt, a UCLA professor, told Vox.com that the shooting was “the final straw” for many in Ferguson.
Those divides have been exacerbated by a counter protest movement supporting Darren Wilson.
What did the State do?
State Governor Jay Nixon imposed a curfew on the streets but that didn’t help. In fact, just days later, seven people were arrested and a man was shot.
The state’s response was to replace the handling of the policing was to replace the St Louis County Police with the Missouri Highway Patrol.
And that calmed things down, right?
It did. But only briefly. The day after being taken away from the policing of the situation, Ferguson PD, having held back for six days released the identity of the police officer who shot Michael Brown.
At the same time, however, they said that Brown was a suspect in an armed robbery that occurred shortly before the shooting.
This action, seen by many in the community as unnecessary, sparked outrage and led to further rioting.
It was later revealed that Wilson was not pursuing Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson for the robbery, but rather for jaywalking.
Those protests, along with looting and rioting followed, with police responding with tear gas and arrests.
And the army were brought in?
No. The National Guard were called on by Nixon, but not the US Army.
But this picture…
That picture shows something that has been spotlighted by the ongoing crisis in Ferguson: the militarisation of American police forces.
In 1994, in response to the War on Drugs, the Pentagon began distributing surplus equipment and arms to police forces.
https://vine.co/v/MYH3tmYBn9X
This New York Times map shows the requisitions by St Louis County under that scheme.
The police response has been reported as heavy-handed and militaristic, but is representative of a growing trend in policing across the States.
English comedian John Oliver took the issue on in his HBO show in August.
Various military and policing experts have said that crowd control should be focused on de-escalation. US President Barack Obama slammed the policing.
“There’s also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights. And here in the United States of America, police should not be bullying or arresting journalists who are just trying to do their jobs and report to the American people on what they see on the ground.”
US Attorney General Eric Holder said that he was concerned about the tactics used.
“At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message.”
Is this an isolated case?
Sadly, no. According to data compiled by the FBI, in a seven year period ending in 2012, an average of nearly two black people were killed by police every week.
In fact, just days after the shooting of Brown, LAPD shot a 25-year-old black man as he lay face down on the pavement.
Ezell Ford Jr had special needs and had been walking two blocks from his home.
USA Today says that even those numbers are a conservative estimate.
While the racial analysis is striking, the database it’s based on has been long considered flawed and largely incomplete. The killings are self-reported by law enforcement and not all police departments participate so the database undercounts the actual number of deaths.
So what happened last night?
A grand jury which was empanelled to investigate what should happen next made the decision that charges should not be brought against officer Darren Wilson.
The investigation found that Wilson fired 12 times after getting into an ‘altercation’ with Brown, and the jury said it could find no grounds to file charges.
US President Barack Obama and the family of Michael Brown have appealed for calm – but it hasn’t worked so far. Police have fired tear gas on protesters who have gathered in the town, with reports of cars on fire and missiles being thrown.
In a statement, Brown’s family said: “We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequences of his actions.
“We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction”.
Originally published 18 August
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I completely understand a young man lost his life but I don’t understand the looting and unlawfulness that’s going on.
Surely there is a better way to get your point across
Exactly Karen!
What if you don’t give a toss why or who was shot but see it as a chance to clean out shops.
Ferguson has a problem with street gangs and like the riots in England many of them are using this as an excuse.
Karen,
Half of these muppets probably don’t even know someone was shot, the other half don’t care. It’s all about free TV’ s and booze.
Karen, this is the best way to get their point across. The story has remained in the news and the actions of the police is being rightly scrutinised.
Otherwise, this shooting would have been swept under the carpet and that misinformation about a robbery would be the official record, like the over one hundred other black men shot by police (as reported), were they all justified?
Conrad you can’t be serious.
Those shop owners and the people who live there are losing out. Do you think this is in any way acceptable behaviour?
Unless the young man that was shot was a yob I suspect he would condemn this sort of carry on.
Shops are businesses – they are insured – will the shopkeepers be totally honest when they fill out their insurance claims with regards precise number of stock …
Sure Karen, the same thing happened in the UK. People are oportunists and take advantage of situations which is selfish and does not respect the life that was taken and loses the point that I’m sure the decent folk were trying to get across. It’ll never change.
I agree 150% with you Karen.
I don’t think the young man would have condemned this behaviour as he himself was partial to robbing stores
Dermot. You are actually trying to defend the looters!!! “Their insured”.
No one should support riots etc but it’s a clear indication that there’s a big number of people completely disenfranchised with their leaders and community. Just like the riots that occurred in England.
There’s more to it than opportunistic looters
Sorry Seanie but the US has a huge problem with white police men shooting/killing/beating unarmed black men/women and getting away with it…….witnesses, video evidence all ignored……it is endemic over there and I can fully understand how black people feel persecuted……I understand their anger and while I don’t agree with looting and burning……their frustration must at times get the better of them……there is no Martin Luther King around now to speak for them or harness their frustrations and anger…..its easy to criticise what you haven’t experienced.
Note to self: next time I read a comment on the Journal about how shlte life is in Ireland, direct commenter to this article.
I have been to St Louis alot in the past. One local person from the group I was with somehow insulted a black person and 10 mins later they were pulling guns out in the car park.
I was scared S***less and never saw anything like that in my life before.
Hope the situation gets under control soon.
welcome to America.
when things unravel in that country, as they surely will as it consumes far too much and its economy and currency is sliding out the window, it will fracture along racial and cultural lines and given their propensity for violence it will get very ugly, very quickly.
@Mary
You’re not related to crocodile Dundee are you ? That’s not a gun…..this is a gun…
“I have been to St Louuis a lot in the past ..and then a black person pulled a gun”
So you have been to St. Louis alot and you only saw one potentially violent incident …. what has the colour of the person’s skin got to do with it and if it was only one incident then surely Sty. Louis is not a bad place at all !
And why were you afraid was the insult “somehow” a bad insult and besides why were you hanging around with locals that go around insulting people ?
If CCTV showed this man to be white, his killing would be regarded as pro active policing. However the fact he wasn’t, the race card is used. We’ve seen this many times in the past and the result was always riots. Response speaks louder than words
Says who Murph11? If he was white is still be saying that it was excessive force and plain wrong.
The fact that people have since turned it into a race issue doesn’t detect from the fact that an armed trained police officer shot an unarmed man 6 times including twice in the head.
He was being pursued for the crime of jay walking at the time!
-However, in the midst of all this, there’s another interesting case, which clearly demonstrates the hypocrisy surrounding Ferguson.
As reported by Fox News “U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has taken the death penalty off the table for four people charged in the gang-related slaying of a reserve Virginia police officer. Federal prosecutors said Friday that the four co-defendants will instead face the possibility of life in prison for their alleged role in the killing of Capt. Kevin Quick.”
“The 45-year-old Quick of Waynesboro was reported missing Feb. 1. His body was found several days later in Goochland County west of Richmond. The Daily Progress reports that authorities say the three siblings and another man charged all belong to the Bloods gang set 99 Goon Syndikate. The four charged in May are Daniel Lamont Mathis, Shantai Monique Shelton, Mersadies Lachalle Shelton and Travis Leon Bell, also known as Kweli Uhuru.”
The police should just withdraw from Ferguson completely and throw a cordon around it. After the first night, most protesters now shouting “pigs!” etc… will be begging them to come back once half the town is burned down.
The problem is that in a 67% majority black area all of the power rests with white people. Unless the power is truly representative of the area these incidents will occur. That goes for everywhere, not just Ferguson.
It’s hardly white people’s fault if the black community are too apathetic to vote.
Well said Dave.
First a so called “eye witness” said he was shot in the back running away, then another “eye witness said he was on his knees with his hands in the air. But the results from the autopsy have shown that neither was possible so both sets of witnesses can be dismissed as liars.
6 rounds fired, 4 in the upper arm, 2 in the head. That speaks volumes.
If Brown had is arms in the air in the Hands up position it would be extremely unlikely that he would have been hit so many times in the upper arm as every Police Officer that is trained to use firearms is trained to shoot at the upper torso. And the report also states that all the rounds struck him face on. So that destroys both sets of witnesses evidence.
Now IF Brown was charging the Officer as some new reports suggest and the Officer fired at the centre mass as he was trained to do, and done so in rapid fire the recoil of each round would cause the shooters arm to rise hence the wound track rising upward ending with the final round impacting at the top of Browns skull.
And as for the gunpowder residue on Browns clothes we know that the Officers gun was fire inside the car where the Officer had fought off Browns attempt to take his gun.
The latest is he was shot 6 times twice in the head from a distance of 30 feet that’s according to Newstalk and that’s murder no matter what why you spin it.
After the senseless looting and rioting stops this cop should stand trial for murder.
I suppose you’d be happy Glen if all police were fired and the streets returned to mob rule.
No John, just happy if they stopped shooting unarmed civilians
What does it matter if he was unarmed?! He reached for an officers gun, that’s clear intent to kill and more than warrants being shot.
John
Why would I want riots and looting …. ?
You really don’t add any substance to the debates on here I honestly don’t know why you even bother !!
Did he John? You were there now were you? Must Have long arms if he was shot from 30ft?
Why in your mind does it have to be one extreme or the other (no cops or robocop) why can’t you imagine a police force that is present, enforces the law but doesn’t shoot unarmed men to death. They have those in other countries you know.
Where are you getting 40 feet from? He tried to grab the cops gun, the cop let off a round and exited his car. Brown was no more than a few feet away from him and made a lunge at the cop. The cop then put him down as he was trained to do. If it went the other way and the cop was shot, then we would not be discussing this. Was Brown running backwards? The guy was a criminal, why is that so hard to understand, If you try to grab a cops gun then you are automatically putting yourself in danger. Police are shot over there on a regular basis. There was a white kid shot in similar circumstances that very same week by a black cop nobody knows about it.
Glen, it’s you who doesn’t add substance to these debates.
The whole situation stinks. Police can’t go around shooting unarmed civilians – who’s going to come along now and support the shooting of the guy lying face down and unarmed.
The looting and rioting is out of order and not helpful but the real issue is the shooting and the fact that two sides of the community can’t stand each other.
What a mess !
There is one question I don’t think has been asked yet, where was this officers partner when the incident went down?
Good question, Joe. Not sure about about Ferguson and the rules there regarding officers on patrol, but even for a small police force, I always assumed officers went on patrol in pairs. Maybe that is not the case in this local.
Policemen where I live in Michigan are rarely ever seen in pairs.
They patrol in singles.
I have heard from relatives in St louis that those looting are coming in from chicago and other areas and that the looting has moved to neighbouring towns. There is no excuse for that and they are right to bring in curfew and national guard to curb that.
With regards to the shooting, the guy shot was 6′ 4 and was walking down the middle of the road with his friend when the cops stopped them for jaywalking. He then tried to take the gun off the officer and charged at him. The cop did shoot to kill but in a self defense manner. I would probably do the same in his shoes if a huge guy like that was charging at me.
Anyway, the media seems to be blowing the protests out of proportion. Friends of relatives who live there say it is only on one street. The people causing the trouble are from out of town and even black businesses in the area have been affected by the looters and criminal blow ins.
We only have the word of the cop that Brown was reaching for his weapon, which is claimed by officers in nearly all incidents of police killing unarmed citizens (his theft at the store is irrelevant as the officer only responded to jaywalking,which to be honest should have been from his within his car with a verbal warning). I’m not saying he is lying but it seems to be a reoccuring trend as a justification for firing his weapon after the fact and no one to claim otherwise. To me with how many of the police officers confront and engage with people in such a hyper aggressive manner, I would also put my hands out in the direction of a weapon being drawn at close range especially if I was black knowing how police react and treat black people, it’s not that I want to take it but out of fear for my own life I’d need to ensure it’s not aimed at me knowing the record US police have in such confrontations.
It’s the poor police training and disregard for any rules of engagement which are seriously void of discussion here, even in the pictures above, as the marine says, no soldier or cop should be walking around with weapons aimed at unarmed citizens if they do not pose an immediate threat to their safety. It’s this gun-ho mentality they have is what’s uncalled for and unnecessary when trying to defuse tensions and restore order and is being purposely ignored by all levels of law and state.
Derek how do you account for the Officers injuries and the shot fired within the Police car?
He did give a verbal warning from within his car, he was told ‘f**k you’
It had seemed to the four clean-cut college freshman that night like a typical McDonald’s: spanking clean, well-lighted, and safe. It was in a good neighborhood too, right next to Texas A&M University in College Station – a campus known for its friendly atmosphere and official down-home greeting: “howdy”
Out on a double date, the two couples pulled into the parking lot of so-called “University McDonald’s” shortly after 2 a.m. that Sunday – and beheld a scene unlike anything portrayed in all those wholesome McDonald’s television commercials. Before them, hundreds of young black males were loitering about, some without shirts.
Other local residents — the more cynical and world-weary, both whites and most blacks — would have taken one look at the crowd and driven off, dismissing many of the young and posturing black males as thugs. But not them: innocent white kids from the suburbs. They presumed this was post-racial America — and that they were in an easy-going college town.
Twenty minutes later, two of them were dead.
This is deep rooted historical culture raising it’s frustrated head because historical inhumane treatment of black people in some Southern states has never been property addressed by any US government.
Tear gas the whole lot of them.
No…. Look at the first picture, they look like a lovely bunch of lads.
tear gas police and protestors ? What good would that do ? ….
Ah I see the logic now – once the police are treated the way the citizens are then they will all give up and go home …not a bad idea !
Well done to the cop, one less violent criminal on our streets, having been cleared by the grand jury he should get a medal and a promotion.
Mary, scared reading that!
Surely this should raise AGAIN the question of the second amendment and America’s relationship with guns? The Gardai get on quite well in Ireland without firearms…
Adam it may come as a surprise to you but a very large section of the Gardai are regularly armed.
Ireland is one of only 3 countries in the world that do not arm all members of their police force. the UK and New Zealand being the other two
Wow shocked by the racist comments on this thread!! Like how can you sympathise with a police officer shooting an UNARMED teenager six times?! Not to mention that nearly 70% of the town is black, yet over 90% of police are white, while 100% of state officials are white?! Something not adding up here. And the police dressing up in their military gear pointing guns at unarmed protesters… All they’re doing is raising aggression and hatred in a town where over two thirds are made to feel like animals. The police said “come at me you f***ing animals” so some of the police aren’t even seen the protesters as people anymore?! Wow, and I thought Ireland had problems O_O shocking videos, the entire situation is very sad
Well a black cop shot an unarmed white teen in the same week, not a blip on the radar there. The blacks do not want to join the police and they are responsible for over 80% of black homicides. They are involved in the drug/quick money business. I don’t see any mention of the white female teenagers getting pimped out by black men all over the USA. They seem to have a more violent and lawless culture and have no room for the law. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out what will happen if you try to grab a gun from a cop. What about the shopkeeper that was robbed that very day. The Brown kid was high on drugs and lunged at a cop.
Lovely people .
Police were constantly responding to late-night fights, assaults, and disturbances among huge crowds that were mostly black – a problem one top police official called a “drain on resources.” Most of the reported incidents – some 200 in the three years preceding Ward and Crisp’s deaths – involved black-on-black violence by gang bangers and, according to one police officer, members of black college fraternities. One police report described an unidentified man’s head getting bashed against a curb. White patrons appeared to be especially susceptible and at risk – and when they were attacked, the blows were particularly vicious. The hours of 2-to-3 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays were especially volatile, with at least a dozen fights and assaults reported during those hours in the year preceding Ward and Crisp’s deaths.
I’m Irish born and breed and I lived in the US for 10 years and I take no pleasure in stating that thee most bigoted, racist people I came across while there were the Irish born immigrants…….seems its home grown.
Wasting your time Katie…….this is like KKK country.
Armed robbery?wasn’t it strong arm robbery?
AmeriKKKa land of the free home of the slave. Freedom is seldom travellled by the multiude.
Mike brown was the last nail in the coffin for those folks. Get up stand up.
In the us, if your not white or Christan, your f***ed
The John Oliver piece does a pretty good job of summing it all up
Some amount if anti black brainwashed dopes on this thread that watch sky ‘news’ non stop, the same network as Fox’news’, that push a right wing anti Black agenda where possible.
These people, you dopes, are the majority in a town where they have next to no representation on most institutions of power. If this cop could spot a handicapped kid for jaywalking them it could happen to any of them. The shops that get looted are the people who pay for the cops that’s how towns in the us work you anti Black rascit brainwashed clowns. They’re not state funded. So they’re making a mess of the place and all who are responsible.
The majority of black people murdered in the States are killed by fellow blacks. Also its a democratic society, they have votes so they can vote for whoever they want. You are talking garbage and just spewing the usual racist crap. See how far you or any other white person would get if you tried to grab a cops gun. The president of the States is black, where does that fit in with your agenda.
He wasn’t handicapped, you are getting confusedcwuth another shooting. Read the article you’re commenting on at least.
Also, he was hardly shot for jaywalking, he was walking in the middle of the road and refused to let cars drive. He wasn’t shot for that either, it how it all started.
The beginning of the story says a TOWN OF 20,000.So wht dothey need so many police and National guard to corral these people.At best there cant be more than a thousand people protesting.This is JUST A TEST RUN SO THESE CLOWNS CAN GET PRACTICE CORRALING PEOPLE
Yes a thousand people with a couple of hundred shots fired already, how many police would you suggest they use ?? Your obviously an expert on crowd control
After watching the latest videos including the one with Michael dead on the ground found here http://bragnews.com/?p=1499 I am preying for better days,
Would someone tell the Journal.ie that it is late November……
have your say