Michael Brown dies

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Protest meeting on August 14, 2014 in Ferguson
Protest meeting on November 25th in Washington

The death of Michael Brown occurred at noon on August 9, 2014 at around 12:02 p.m. local time in the city of Ferguson in the US state of Missouri . The 18-year-old African American student Michael Brown was shot dead by the police officer Darren Wilson after assaulting him. As a result, there were ongoing unrest and demonstrations against racist police violence , the deployment of the National Guard and nocturnal curfews. After a grand jury decided on November 24th not to open any proceedings against Darren Wilson, protests, some of which were violent, broke out in more than 170 cities in the United States the following day.

Michael Brown dies

Brown lived with his grandmother in an apartment in Ferguson during the summer of 2014.

He graduated from Normandy High School in St. Louis on August 1, 2014 and was due to begin training as a heating and air conditioning technician at Vatterott College in Saint Joseph , Missouri , on August 11 .

Course of events

According to initial reports, Michael Brown wanted to visit his grandmother on Saturday afternoon, August 9, 2014. It was later announced that he spent the summer there. Together with his friend Dorian Johnson he was traveling in a residential area in Ferguson. Brown's grandmother heard the commotion that afternoon and went to the door to see what was going on. Less than two blocks from her house, she found her grandson lying motionless on the floor. Michael Brown died on the spot, he was not armed.

The exact circumstances of the shooting at Michael Brown are unclear. The statements of the witnesses only agree on a few points: The police officer Darren Wilson was, as usual in the USA, alone in his police car when he met Brown and Johnson, who were walking in the middle of the street. Brown allegedly leaned through the open window of the police vehicle, a shot from Wilson's gun had gone off and Brown had escaped. Wilson left the patrol car, Brown stopped and turned around.

The testimonies then differ significantly, especially with regard to Brown's hand gestures. According to the official final report, not a single witness heard claimed that Brown raised his hands to surrender. This has been confirmed by the police investigation as well as the investigations of the FBI . Some of the witnesses alleged that Brown had approached the police officer in a threatening position, who fired his weapon several times at the attacking Brown, killing him. Wilson fired twelve shots at Brown during the total of about 90 seconds between his stop with the vehicle and the final fatal shot, of which at least six hit.

Offense

Police released surveillance camera footage six days after the death on August 15, 2014, showing how Brown, roughly five minutes before his fatal collision with Wilson, committed a robbery at a Ferguson Market and Liquor store :

"The encounter between Wilson and Brown took place over an approximately two-minute period of time at about noon on August 9, 2014. […] Brown and Witness 101 had just come from [Ferguson Market and Liquor] where, at approximately 11: 53 am, Brown stole several packages of cigarillos. As captured on the store's surveillance video, when the store clerk tried to stop Brown, Brown used his physical size to stand over him and forcefully shove him away. "

- Department of Justice Report Regarding the Criminal Investigation Into the Shooting Death of Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson. (PDF file) United States Department of Justice, March 4, 2015, accessed July 6, 2015 . Thomas Barrabi: Michael Brown Robbed Convenience Store, Stole Cigarillos Before Darren Wilson Shooting, Dorian Johnson Says. International Business Times, November 25, 2014, accessed November 26, 2014 .

"There is only agreement that Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson had robbed a cigar shop."

- "I felt like a five-year-old holding Hulk Hogan". zeit.de, November 25, 2014, accessed on July 6, 2015 .

Brown, accompanied by his friend Dorian Johnson, had asked for cigarillos there; when the salesman put the pack on the counter, Brown grabbed it and handed it to Johnson. Brown then reached across the counter and picked up several packs of cigarillos. A confrontation ensued between the seller and Brown, in which the latter refused to pay. Johnson put back the cigarillos that Brown had given him. Brown and Johnson wanted to leave the business, the 1.93-meter-tall Brown with unpaid cigarillos with a total value of around 50 US dollars. The salesman who tried to prevent Brown from leaving by holding the door shut was pushed away by the latter.

Attention was drawn to the fact that the United States Department of Justice urged local law enforcement agencies to withhold the surveillance video because it could fuel the rioting. Ferguson's police chief Tom Jackson published it anyway, as he felt obliged to do so through inquiries based on the Freedom of Information Act . The Federal Ministry, itself in possession of a copy, never considered publication.

Reactions

Brown's family hired attorney Benjamin Crump , who in 2012 represented the family of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin , who was shot dead by a member of a neighborhood guard in the city of Sanford , Florida in February 2012 .

When the Ferguson police released surveillance camera stills showing Brown's previous robbery , Michael Brown's family was outraged. The family said the publication cast a bad light on their son, who had no previous criminal record. The family's lawyers said none of the facts presented could “justify the execution-like killing of their child by a police officer while he was holding his hands, which is the global mark of surrender”.

Central commemoration

On August 25, 2014, the central memorial service took place in the Friendly Temple Missionary Church in St Louis with over 4500 participants. Several US politicians and other celebrities attended the memorial service, including Al Sharpton , Spike Lee , Martin Luther King III , presenter Tom Joyner , Sean Combs and Snoop Dogg . US President Barack Obama sent three official White House representatives .

Investigations

A grand jury was convened on August 20 to determine whether or not Darren Wilson should be brought to trial under the laws of the State of Missouri . After hearing witnesses and investigators on November 24th, it decided not to initiate such proceedings.

The Federal Police FBI had taken over the investigation into violation of the civil rights of the person killed . Investigators reportedly recommended in January 2015 not to bring federal charges.

An autopsy commissioned by the family showed that Brown was hit by at least six shots: four gunshot wounds were in the area of ​​the right arm, and two more bullets hit the head. With the exception of a headshot, Brown hit all bullets from the front. The second headshot hit the skull from above. The coroner Michael M. Baden, commissioned by the Brown family for a counter-opinion, stated that he could not exactly reconstruct the course of events based on the evidence, but gave some general information. The second headshot was fired when Brown kept his head down. Shots from close range should be ruled out due to the lack of powder residue.

Parts of witness Dorian Johnson's testimony that Brown was held by the police officer with one hand and shot with the gun in the other has been questioned after the new autopsy results.

The Washington Post said a person in charge of the case that Michael Brown marijuana had in his body when he died.

There is a twelve-second audio recording of the shooting at Michael Brown from a video chat of a local resident, which was investigated by the FBI.

Riots

Riots on August 17th
A police officer threatened reporters in Ferguson on August 19. He was later suspended for the incident

After a vigil , riots broke out . Thousands of mostly African American demonstrators had gathered at the scene. The police, armed with batons , used tear gas and tried to disperse the crowd with dogs . When the situation escalated further , the police requested reinforcements from the neighboring communities. The police said that 32 demonstrators had been arrested. Several stores were looted in the course of the protests , including the supermarket that Brown allegedly robbed on Friday. Late on Sunday evening, August 10, 2014, more shops were looted and there were occasional violent clashes with the police.

Daily riots broke out in the city in the evenings and at night. On the night of August 19, protesters threw incendiary devices at a petrol station, which burned out. The head of the Missouri State Police , under whose command all police forces in Ferguson were, complained that criminals were taking advantage of the situation and shooting police officers with sharp weapons.

After the grand jury's decision not to open criminal proceedings, the unrest flared up again on November 24th. After the grand jury's decision, Michael Brown's stepfather, Louis Head, shouted “Burn this bitch down!” To the crowd in front of the Police Department. Both peaceful protests and violent unrest ensued. A dozen buildings were burned down, including two police vehicles and several others. There was also further destruction and looting. Gunshots could be heard. In Ferguson, 61 people were arrested and reported. a. for burglary and trespassing. The police used tear gas. On November 25th, 20 year old DeAndre Joshua was found dead in a parked burned car. He had been shot. The National Guard was deployed in Ferguson to prevent further escalation.

Journalist arrests

Police complained that journalists did not respond to requests to leave certain areas.

Journalists who wanted to report on the events in Ferguson, however, complained about attacks by the police. This wanted to prevent the reporting. At least nine journalists were arrested and imprisoned during the riots, including three German: The USA correspondent of the " Welt -Gruppe", Ansgar Graw , Bild reporter Lukas Hermsmeier and Rheinische Post correspondent Frank Herrmann were informed on August 18, 2014 by local Security forces arrested in Ferguson. They were reportedly taken away in handcuffs. When Ansgar Graw asked the name of the police officer in charge, the answer was "Donald Duck". For his part, the police officer claims to have reacted to a provocation by the journalists who are said to have commented on the ban on standing still for more than 6 seconds with a kind of duck walk in view of the manageability of the security situation - there was no reason to fear a gathering on the street. While Ansgar Graw and Frank Herrmann were released after hours, Lukas Hermsmeier, who had been hit by rubber bullets, was taken to the St. Louis prison and was only released a few hours later.

Ryan Reilly, reporter for the Huffington Post , and Pulitzer Prize winner Wesley Lowery , reporter for the Washington Post, were attacked and arrested by police officers on August 13 in a fast food restaurant. In a television crew of the station Al Jazeera were tear gas grenades fired. A Getty agency photographer , Scott Olson, was also arrested.

The journalists' organization Reporters Without Borders strongly condemned the arrests. She assessed the current events as “serious violations of the freedom of the press”. The German Association of Journalists speaks of a "new quality of restriction of press freedom ".

At the end of March 2015, four of the journalists concerned, including the German reporters Graw, Hermann and Hermsmeier, filed a lawsuit against the County of St. Louis and the responsible municipal police authority. While the case against the city in 2016 [obsolete] was still pending, the case against the county was ended in May 2016 by a settlement. The county admitted the violation of the freedom of the press and agreed to revise its procedures.

Reactions

The governor of Missouri , Jay Nixon , has stopped the use of local police and by the run by a born Ferguson Black Highway Patrol replaces the state. Six days after the crime, the Ferguson police chief announced the name of the shooter. A week after Brown was killed, Governor Nixon imposed a midnight to 5am curfew on the city of Ferguson. A little later, Nixon ordered the National Guard to be sent to Ferguson to protect the police headquarters and the shopping centers in Ferguson. The curfew was lifted on August 19, 2014. Two days later, the National Guard's mission was declared over.

US President Barack Obama described the case as "heartbreaking" and urged to renounce violence. He sent US Attorney General Eric Holder to Ferguson; this should investigate the death in cooperation with the FBI. In a guest article for TIME magazine, US Senator Rand Paul criticized the militarization of the police authorities by the US federal government and the discrimination of black Americans by the police and the judiciary with a view to the events in Ferguson .

UN Secretary- General Ban Ki Moon urged the US authorities to "guarantee the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression"; the police should follow international standards for dealing with demonstrators.

On August 18, 2014, Amnesty International (AI) announced that it was sending a group of 13 observers to Ferguson to observe police and National Guard activities and to educate protesters about their rights. Amnesty International urged the authorities to respect and uphold human and fundamental rights. Al Sharpton spoke of an "extremely worrying" incident and announced a visit to the Brown family.

The action started a debate on the advanced militarization of the police in the United States in transition, as the local police used armored vehicles, combat uniforms and heavy weapons in their operations, with whom they in the fight against drug-related crime and terrorism in the context of the 1033 program was equipped .

Journalistic research revealed other cases of racial discrimination against African Americans in Ferguson several years ago. In September 2009, the African American Henry Davis was mistakenly arrested for having the same name as a suspect. At the police station, he was beaten and charged with violating the property of the police officers for bleeding all over their uniforms after being beaten by them. Davis' civil liability suit was dismissed.

Between July 2009 and December 2010, Ferguson police hired an agent who had been removed from the St. Louis, Missouri Police Department after assaulting two black minors (one of whom was a 12-year-old girl). This attack was later assessed as a criminal act by a state commission. In September 2011, the mentally disabled African American Jason Moore was immobilized by police using a taser. After lying on the floor, the taser was used twice more and Moore died of a heart attack .

After Michael Brown's death, people in Ferguson initiated a petition calling for police officers to be equipped with miniature cameras that can be worn on the body. In this way, misconduct by the police should be documented and ultimately avoided in the future. Three days after Brown's death, more than 112,000 people had signed. From 100,000 signatures, the White House must deal with the text and respond to it publicly.

Two projects on the Internet platform Facebook were founded in support of the police officer Darren Wilson. A fundraising project on the GoFundMe platform has been collecting money for Wilson since August 17th. About a hundred protesters gathered in St. Louis on August 17th to show their support for Wilson.

Peaceful protests and riots on the first anniversary

Police and protesters on August 10, 2015

On August 9, 2015, the anniversary of Brown's death, there were initially peaceful protests in Ferguson. Later that night there was a riot with a shooting.

On August 31, 2020, the responsible public prosecutor refused to reopen the proceedings, as there was no evidence of the police officers' misconduct.

See also

Web links

Commons : Death of Michael Brown  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ferguson Chief Names Darren Wilson as Cop Who Shot Michael Brown. nbcnews.com, accessed August 19, 2014.
  2. Protests over Ferguson spread across the United States. ( Memento from December 4, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Der Stern, November 26, 2014.
  3. ^ A Youth, an Officer and 2 Paths to a Fatal Encounter. New York Times, August 15, 2014 (English).
  4. ^ In Ferguson, three minutes - and two lives forever changed. The Washington Post , August 16, 2014.
  5. Mike Brown notched a hard-fought victory just days before he was shot: A diploma. The Washington Post, August 12, 2014.
  6. Who Was Mike Brown: 5 Facts To Know About The Teen Fatally Shot By A Missouri Officer. International Business Times , August 13, 2014.
  7. ^ Key figures in the Ferguson, Missouri, shooting. yahoo.com (English).
  8. a b c Justin Moyer: Autopsy: Michael Brown shot six times, twice in the head. The Washington Post, August 18, 2014, accessed August 18, 2014.
  9. ^ Protests after police shots: The mysterious death of Michael Brown. Der Spiegel, August 11, 2014, accessed on August 12, 2014.
  10. ^ DOJ Report Regarding the Criminal Investigation into the Shooting Death of Michael Brown by Fergusob, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson. United States Department of Justice, 2015. pp. 8, 82–83 (PDF file, 881 kB, English).
  11. ^ Frances Robles, Michael S. Schmidt: Shooting Accounts Differ as Holder Schedules Visit to Ferguson. The New York Times, August 19, 2014, accessed August 19, 2014.
  12. ^ A b Riots after the jury's decision in Ferguson. derwesten.de on November 27, 2014, accessed on November 27, 2014.
  13. a b Governor orders National Guard to Ferguson. Focus online from August 18, 2014.
  14. Bill Chappell: Ferguson Police Release Name Of Officer Who Shot Michael Brown. NPR, August 15, 2014, accessed August 20, 2014 .
  15. ^ A b c d e Department of Justice Report Regarding the Criminal Investigation Into the Shooting Death of Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson. (PDF file) United States Department of Justice, March 4, 2015, p. 26 , accessed July 6, 2015 .
  16. ^ Ferguson police: Michael Brown was robbery suspect. bbc.com, August 15, 2014 (English).
  17. ^ Ferguson police say teen shot by cop was suspect in robbery; officer's identity revealed. cbsnews.com, August 15, 2014 (English).
  18. Feds Urged Police Not to Release Michael Brown 'Robbery' Video. NBC News , Aug 16, 2014.
  19. Manuel Roig-Franzia, DeNeen L. Brown, Wesley Lowery: In Ferguson, three minutes - and two lives forever changed. The Washington Post, August 16, 2014, accessed August 16, 2014.
  20. Police: Michael Brown stopped because he blocked traffic. msnbc.com (English).
  21. Ferguson's police do not look good again. Deutsche Welle , August 16, 2014.
  22. ^ Church ready for Michael Brown's funeral. ksdk.com (English).
  23. White House officials to attend Michael Brown's funeral. The Washington Post.
  24. Mourners lining up for Michael Brown's funeral. cnn.com (English).
  25. Obama sent three representatives to Michael Brown funeral; none to James Foley Mass. The Washington Post.
  26. a b Johannes Kuhn: Grand jury decides - Ferguson answers with violence. sueddeutsche.de from November 25, 2014, accessed on December 2, 2014.
  27. Ferguson shooter: Probably not a federal charge against Darren Wilson. Der Spiegel, January 22, 2015, accessed January 22, 2015.
  28. ^ Spiegel Online: Another night of violence in Ferguson: Six bullets hit Michael Brown. Der Spiegel, August 18, 2014.
  29. ^ Riots after Michael Brown's death: Obama sends US attorney general to Ferguson. Der Spiegel, August 19, 2014.
  30. Possible audio evidence in the Michael Brown case. Süddeutsche Zeitung, August 27, 2014.
  31. [1] nydailynews.com
  32. DeNeen L. Brown, Wesley Lowery, Jerry Markon: State of emergency declared in Missouri amid renewed tensions over Brown's death. The Washington Post, August 16, 2014, accessed August 16, 2014.
  33. John Eligon, Alan Blinder: After Violent Night in Ferguson, State Acts to Protect People and Property . In: The New York Times , November 25, 2014. "As Ms. McSpadden cried, Mr. Head turned and yelled, with an expletive injected," Burn this down! " The crowd began to roar, and some demonstrators rushed toward a fence near which police officers had assembled. " 
  34. ^ Ellen Wulfhorst, Daniel Wallis and Edward McAllister: St. Louis suburb smolders after racially charged riots . In: Reuters , November 25, 2014. 
  35. Joe Millitzer: Protesters and police clash after Brown grand jury decision . In: Fox 2 KTVI , November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014. 
  36. Ferguson grand jury decision recap: Mayhem as police cars, businesses burn . In: Los Angeles Times , November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014. 
  37. Moni Basu, Holly Yan and Dana Ford, CNN: Ferguson: Fires and chaos erupts after no indictment . In: CNN . November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  38. Oliver Darcy: 61 Arrested, At Least a Dozen Buildings Set Aflame Following Ferguson Grand Jury Decision . November 25, 2014. Archived from the original on November 25, 2014. Retrieved on November 25, 2014.
  39. Man found dead in car near Canfield apartments in Ferguson . In: St. Louis Post-Dispatch , November 25, 2014. "Police found the body of a man inside a parked car in Ferguson early Tuesday, after a night of looting and unrest ravaged parts of that city." 
  40. Crimesider Staff: Cops: Body of man found in car in Ferguson was burned . In: CBS News . Retrieved November 30, 2014. "The body of a man discovered dead in a car Tuesday in Ferguson, Missouri was burned and shot in the head, according to St. Louis County police." 
  41. ^ Protesters fill streets across country as Ferguson protests spread coast to coast . In: CNN , November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014. 
  42. Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, Krissah Thompson and David A. Fahrenthold: "Police come under 'heavy gunfire' in Ferguson, arrest 31 people" from August 19, 2014, viewed on August 19, 2014
  43. ^ A b Also "Bild" reporter arrested in Ferguson
  44. German journalists arrested in Ferguson. Zeit Online , August 19, 2014, accessed November 23, 2014 .
  45. ^ Riots in Ferguson: US police arrest German journalists. In: Spiegel Online . August 19, 2014, accessed June 9, 2018 .
  46. https://www.waz.de/panorama/mit-blendgranaten-gegen-randalierer-in-ferguson-id9722579.html
  47. The officer called himself "Donald Duck," RP, Aug. 19, 2014
  48. Analysis: Police are looking for a strategy. In: sueddeutsche.de. August 20, 2014, accessed August 26, 2020 .
  49. "One of the reporters asked the officers if he walked like 'Donald Duck' would he be able to avoid arrest," the report says. "The reporter then began to walk in circles, mimicking the gait of a duck." 'Donald Duck' Unmasked: Mystery Cop Who Helped Arrest Reporters For Standing Still Revealed , The St. Louis American, August 15, 2016 (accessed August 20, 2016). August 2016)
  50. http://www.dw.de/ferguson-kom-nicht-zur-ruhe/a-17862099
  51. “We did not broadcast any danger” - “Bild” reporter in Ferguson was shot. dwdl.de, August 20, 2014.
  52. newsweek
  53. http://www.newsweek.com/journalists-arrested-assaulted-and-teargassed-ferguson-264610?piano_t=1
  54. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/al-jazeera-ferguson-tear-gas-journalists_n_5678081.html
  55. Civil Rights Action Filed On Behalf Of Journalists Arrested During Ferguson Protests , Huffington Post , March 30, 2015, accessed April 3, 2015.
  56. ^ Devereaux v St Louis , original document. PDF, 654 kB .
  57. ^ Squire Patton Boggs Wins Settlement on Behalf of Journalists in Ferguson Civil Rights Lawsuit. In: squirepattonboggs.com. Squire Patton Boggs, accessed August 1, 2016 .
  58. Death of Michael Brown - Missouri disempowered hated Ferguson police , Hamburger Abendblatt , August 15, 2014
  59. Black teenager Michael Brown shot dead - Ferguson police name names of gunmen , stern.de , August 16, 2014
  60. USA: Curfew after rioting in Ferguson , Die Presse , August 17, 2014
  61. ^ Riots after the killing of teenagers: Governor sends National Guard to Ferguson , spiegel.de, August 18, 2014.
  62. ^ A b Riots after Michael Brown's death: Obama sends US attorney general to Ferguson
  63. ^ National Guard leaves Ferguson , Tages-Anzeiger , August 22, 2014.
  64. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2014/08/12/obama-the-death-of-michael-brown-is-heartbreaking/
  65. http://time.com/3111474/rand-paul-ferguson-police/
  66. a b Obama sends US attorney general to Ferguson. Der Spiegel, August 19, 2014.
  67. Natasha Cluzac: Michael Brown shooting: Amnesty International sends team within US for first time as National Guard deployed , The Independent , August 18, 2014.
  68. Die Zeit : Killing a black youth triggers riots. A policeman shot a young black man in St. Louis. , accessed on August 13, 2014
  69. http://time.com/3111474/rand-paul-ferguson-police/
  70. http://www.newsweek.com/why-militarized-police-departments-dont-work-265214?piano_t=1
  71. http://www.wnd.com/2014/08/ferguson-focus-turns-from-riots-to-militarized-cops/
  72. http://www.thewire.com/national/2014/08/the-evolution-of-police-militarization-in-ferguson-and-beyond/376107/
  73. The Day Ferguson Cops Were Caught in a Bloody Lie . In: The Daily Beast . Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  74. ^ Cop Being Sued Over Beating Is Now a Ferguson City Councilwoman . In: Mother Jones . Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  75. ^ Matt Sledge, " Ferguson Hired Officer With History Of Allegedly Hitting Children, " Huffington Post , Aug. 19, 2014.
  76. From Ferguson Cop Embroiled in a Brutality Suit to City Councilwoman . In: The Daily Beast . Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  77. ^ Before Mike Brown Shooting, Ferguson Police Department Had History Of Misconduct Allegations . In: International Business Times . August 18, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  78. a b New lawsuit alleges Ferguson officers used Taser on mentally ill man in 2011, killing him , St. Louis Post Dispatch. August 20, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014. 
  79. John Eligon and Michael S. Schmidt, " In Ferguson, Scrutiny on Police Is Growing ", New York Times , August 20, 2014.
  80. $ 100,000 donation for the shooter. faz.net, August 20, 2014.
  81. Julia Talanova: Support grows for Darren Wilson, officer who shot Ferguson teen Michael Brown. cnn.com, August 20, 2014, accessed August 20, 2014.
  82. John Eligon, Mitch Smith: Ferguson Braces for Tense Day After Man Is Shot by Police. The New York Times, August 10, 2015, accessed August 12, 2015 .
  83. https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/usa-rassismus-trump-kenosha-1.4958687

Coordinates: 38 ° 44 ′ 18.5 ″  N , 90 ° 16 ′ 25.9 ″  W.