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Ferguson police name Darren Wilson as officer who shot Michael Brown Ferguson police release name of officer who shot Michael Brown
(about 3 hours later)
The police officer who shot and killed an unarmed teenager in the Missouri city of Ferguson, sparking days of protests and and violent clashes, was named on Friday. The police officer who shot and killed an unarmed teenager in the Missouri city of Ferguson, sparking days of protests and violent clashes, was named on Friday. But police also released security camera footage and an incident report that implicated 18-year-old Michael Brown in an earlier robbery at a convenience store, infuriating his family and prompting concerns of new tensions in the area.
But in a move that infuriated Brown’s family, police also released security camera footage and an incident report that implicated the 18-year-old in an earlier robbery at a convenience store. The family’s lawyer described the revelation, which came unaccompanied by any further details of the shooting, as a “character assassination”. The Browns’ attorney said they were “beyond outraged” by the revelation, which came unaccompanied by any further details of the shooting. The lawyer, Benjamin Crump, described the report as a “brutal assassination” of Brown’s character.
The Ferguson police chief, Thomas Jackson, identified the officer who shot Brown as Darren Wilson, a six-year veteran of the city police department. He said Wilson had a clean disciplinary record before the incident on Saturday. In a further development, police later disclosed that the officer who shot Brown was not even aware of the robbery, which had taken place a few minutes earlier. Ferguson’s local police chief, Thomas Jackson, was pressured to explain why the information about the robbery had been released at the same time. Crump accused police of playing a game of “smoke and mirrors”.
The announcement brought an end to wide-ranging speculation and rumour that, residents, said was stoking disgruntlement. Several names were published online and circulated locally, forcing police to issue denials. But the revelation of a partial account of events that surrounded the shooting of Brown threatened to inflame tensions in the town. Jackson identified the officer who shot Brown as Darren Wilson, a six-year veteran of the city police department. He said that Wilson had a clean disciplinary record before the shooting on Saturday.
A dramatic shift in law enforcement tactics, after responsibility for policing the demonstrations was removed from St Louis County police, had led to a calmer atmosphere on Thursday night. The disclosure brought an end to wide-ranging speculation and rumour that residents said was stoking disgruntlement. Several names had previously been published online and circulated locally, forcing police to issue denials.
Police have said that a struggle with officers led to Brown being shot. But witnesses said that Brown was shot repeatedly after fleeing the confrontation with his hands up, following a disagreement over a request from the officer for Brown and a friend to move off the road and on to the sidewalk. However the refusal to disclose any further information about the shooting of Brown, combined with the revelation of a partial account of events that allegedly preceded it, threatened to revive hostilities in a town where protests gave way to a carnival-like atmosphere on Thursday night.
On Friday, details of the robbery in which Brown was alleged to have been involved emerged with the publication of a police report. According to the account, witnesses told police that Brown stole several packets of Swisher Sweet cigars from a convenience store between 11.52pm and 11.54am on 9 August. A brief section in the incident report tied the robbery to Brown’s killing, which it said was “worth mentioning”. The report read: “In that incident, Brown was fatally wounded involving an officer of this department.” No further details of the killing were offered.
Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri state highway patrol, who won plaudits for his handling of the demonstrations after being handed control on Thursday, said he “would have liked to have been consulted” about the simultaneous release of the report of the name and alleged robbery.
“The information could have been put out in a different way,” Johnson told reporters and residents at a press conference that unfolded more like a town hall meeting on Friday. “I would have communicated it differently,” he told the Guardian afterwards.
The disagreement over Friday’s decision highlighted the overlapping jurisdictions of the law-enforcement agencies involved. The robbery report was released by Ferguson city police, the force that employs the officer who shot Brown, which has come under sharp criticism for not reflecting the racial makeup of the city, which is majority African American.
The inquiry into the shooting is being led by St Louis County police, which led the policing of the demonstrations over Brown’s death through several nights of violent clashes, before being relieved by Nixon on Thursday. Control of the security for protests was handed to Johnson and the state highway patrol, whose dramatic shift in tactics away from a hardline response was credited with allowing the calmer atmosphere on Thursday night.
Nonetheless, residents expressed fury at Johnson on Friday over the actions of the separate city police force. “There’s a lot of evidence come out about [Brown’s] character, and what he was before the shooting,” said Carl Walter, 38. “Why is there not the same transparency about this officer? This young man lost his life.”
Governor Jay Nixon conceded at the same press conference that “certain things should have come out sooner than they did later”.
“New facts are out that weren’t out yesterday,” said Nixon. “But those are not the full picture of anything.” He added: “Nothing should deter figuring out how and why Michael Brown was killed.”
According to the Ferguson police account of the robbery, witnesses told police that Brown stole several packets of Swisher Sweet cigars from a convenience store between 11.52am and 11.54am on 9 August.
Store surveillance footage shows that “an apparent struggle or confrontation seems to take place with Brown,” and then as he made to leave, an unidentified man tried to stop him. Brown pushed the man into a display rack, started to leave the store, appeared to intimidate the person one more time, then left, according to the report.Store surveillance footage shows that “an apparent struggle or confrontation seems to take place with Brown,” and then as he made to leave, an unidentified man tried to stop him. Brown pushed the man into a display rack, started to leave the store, appeared to intimidate the person one more time, then left, according to the report.
A brief note at the end of the report ties the robbery to Brown’s killing, which it says is “worth mentioning”. It read: “In that incident, Brown was fatally wounded involving an officer of this department.” No further details of the killing were offered. A friend, Dorian Johnson, was identified in the police report as being involved in the robbery. He was also present at the scene of the shooting, which took place a few minutes later and has spoken several times about the incident, contradicting claims by the police that Brown wrestled with Wilson before the shots were fired.
Brown’s family attorney, Benjamin Crump, said his parents were “incensed” and accused police of playing “the old game of smoke and mirrors.” He added: “It’s bad enough they assassinated him, and now they’re trying to assassinate his character.” Jackson said on Friday the officer was treated for an injury sustained during his encounter with Brown. He had previously said that, following the incident, the officer had sustained a swollen face and was treated in hospital. Asked what had struck the officer’s face, Jackson told a press conference earlier this week: “Don’t know.”
The governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, who was responsible for stepping down the Ferguson city police department on Thursday, attempted to limit the fallout from the revelation. “Nothing should deter figuring out how and why Michael Brown was killed,” Nixon said. “But there’s a lot of steps between now and when justice is served. And there will be a lot of other bounces along the way. And there will be a lot of tension at times.” Adding further tension between the various authorities involved, county prosecutor Bob McCulloch, who would be responsible for bringing any charges against the officer, reportedly reacted furiously to Nixon’s transfer of leading the policing the demonstrations. “It’s shameful what he did,” McCulloch told the St Louis Post-Dispatch.
A friend of Brown, Dorian Johnson, was identified in the police report as being involved in the robbery. He was also present at the scene of the shooting, and has spoken several times about the shooting, contradicting claims by the police that Brown wrestled with Wilson before the shooting. Nixon declined to respond to McCulloch’s comments when asked on Friday. “We’re focused on our responsibility we have here,” he said.
Jackson had said previously that following the incident the officer had sustained a swollen face in the incident and was treated in hospital. Asked what had struck the officer’s face, Jackson told a press conference earlier this week: “Don’t know.” Police were posted at the convenience store allegedly robbed by Brown. At least half a dozen officers from the highway patrol and county police, plus what appeared to be a plain clothes officer with a bulletproof vest, took position outside and inside the store around 1pm, hours after authorities posted security camera footage of the incident.
The shooting is being investigated by St Louis County police, which previously insisted that the officer’s identity would not be released. County prosecutor Bob McCulloch said earlier this week that Wilson’s name and other details about the incident must remain secret to ensure the integrity of the inquiry. Staff initially told the Guardian it happened at another store but after police arrived they said they had no comment. “We have nothing to say,” said one woman at the cash register.
McCulloch reportedly reacted furiously on Friday night to the transfer in leadership of policing demonstrations over Brown’s death. Missouri governor Jay Nixon relieved the county police force and handed leadership to the Missouri state highway patrol and Captain Ron Johnson. ‘They’re good people. I’ve known them for over 10 years,” said Eugene Ward, 43, clutching a bag of water bottles and beer cans. “If the evidence shows that the gentleman was here and committed a crime that doesn’t change the excessive police reaction. But it also doesn’t condone what the young man did.”
Police at the scene declined to comment but one highway patrolman was heard telling a customer that the officer involved in the shooting appeared to have been a good man and that Brown’s death was a tragedy.