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There needs to be some context to the wild accusations and media sensationalism surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO.

  1. The media continues to call Brown “unarmed”.  The problem with that characterization is it doesn’t really apply to the shooting.  Any suspect, regardless of race or color, is considered armed until he is proven to be unarmed by a pat down.  Since Michael Brown never was pat down the officer rightly would have considered him armed.  Finding him without a weapon afterward is not relevant to the dynamics and events leading up to the shooting.
  2. The media has portrayed Michael Brown as a kid.  He was a 6’4″, 290 lb 18 year old adult.
  3. Tennessee v. Garner provides that a police officer may use lethal force against a fleeing suspect if that suspect presents a threat to other officers or the community.  Being attacked and hit in the face by a 6’4, 290 lb man and, if true, a shot was fired in the vehicle during a struggle for the gun, then Michael Brown easily fits this criteria.
  4. Michael Brown just committed strong-arm robbery and roughed up a much smaller store clerk.  He didn’t change clothes.  While the officer didn’t have a suspect description from the robbery Michael Brown didn’t know that.  It’s reasonable to assume he thought he was being stopped in relation to the crime he just committed.  No doubt he had motive to avoid going to prison and that would influence his own fateful decisions.
  5. In a released video on YouTube an unsolicited witness to the shooting describes the incident.  He points out Brown as the “dude was on top” before he ran away with the cop in pursuit.  He indicates that Brown turned and was running toward the cop who had his gun drawn.  He thought the cop was “missing” Brown with his shots because Brown kept moving toward him.   That witness account sounds much more reliable than that of robbery accomplice Dorian Johnson who has every reason to lie about the encounter.
  6. The shots that hit Brown were consistent with attempts to shoot center mass.  In self defense you shoot until the threat is stopped.  You don’t shoot once and say “are you done yet?”.  Even the shot to the arm is consistent with an attacker bum-rushing an officer with his arm up in a defensive position, as even the family’s celebrity forensics pathologist indicated.  A shot to the top of the head is consistent with a guy with his head down in an attempt to rush a cop.

Michael Brown was the architect of his own death.  He robbed a store and roughed up a much smaller clerk.  He knew he committed this crime even if the officer didn’t at the time of their confrontation.  He had motive to “escape” arrest and had already shown his proclivity to using his size to intimidate others.  The injuries to the officers face indicate he was being attacked.  An actual, credible witness confirms Brown running away, then turning back to rush the officer when he was shot.   While I can sympathize with a family losing a son it’s simply wrong to blame anyone else when his decisions and criminal behavior resulted in his own death.

The real tragedy of Ferguson is the rush to prosecute an officer who defended himself against a criminal in order to placate the mob mentality that has risen in this community.   The real tragedy is race baiting Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson taking advantage of people and stirring up racial division when this isn’t a race issue at all.  The real tragedy is the President of the United States, Barack Obama, inserting himself into the mix and immediately siding with a criminal and creating a greater gap in race relations.  The real tragedy is Eric Holder flooding the area with agents because the AG race baiter sees another opportunity to perpetuate his own “cowardice” in racial issues.

The only race issue here is seen in the behavior of one particular demographic in response to what appears to be a justified police shooting.   Looters.  Thieves.  Destroyers of property.  Shooters.   If you have an issue with being treated and looked upon as criminals then you may want to consider the possibility of not acting like criminals.  If your actions lead to your own injury or death, you can’t keep blaming the cops.  Take accountability for your own actions.  Like I’ve said before, the probability of being shot by the police drop to about zero when you don’t attack them.  It’s pretty dang good advice.