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Michael Brown autopsy: Ferguson teenager felled by bullet to head Michael Brown autopsy: Ferguson teenager felled by bullet to head
(35 minutes later)
Michael Brown, the unarmed teenager killed by a police officer in the Missouri city of Ferguson, was shot multiple times and was felled by a bullet to the head, according to a preliminary autopsy and an account of the shooting provided by the officer, Darren Wilson.The New York Times reported that an autopsy carried out for Brown’s family by by Dr Michael Baden, a former New York City chief medical examiner, concluded that one of the bullets entered the top of Brown’s skull. Brown was 6ft 4ins tall, and theautopsy concluded that his head was bent forward when he suffered a mortal wound.Brown’s death on 9 August has sparked more than a week of violent protests in St Louis. On Sunday night, police fired teargas into crowds of demonstrators in the hours before a second night-time curfew was due to come into force. Witnesses reported the violence to be the worst so far. Michael Brown, the unarmed teenager killed by a police officer in the Missouri city of Ferguson, was shot multiple times and was felled by a bullet to the head, according to a preliminary autopsy and an account of the shooting provided by the officer, Darren Wilson.The New York Times reported that an autopsy carried out for Brown’s family by Dr Michael Baden, a former New York City chief medical examiner, concluded that one of the bullets entered the top of Brown’s skull. Brown was 6ft 4ins tall, and the autopsy concluded that his head was bent forward when he suffered a mortal wound.Brown’s death on 9 August has sparked more than a week of violent protests Ferguson, a suburb of St Louis. On Sunday night, police fired teargas into crowds of demonstrators in the hours before a second night-time curfew was due to come into force. Witnesses reported the violence to be the worst so far.
The conclusion of the autopsy is supported by Wilson’s account of the incident when he encountered Brown walking in the middle of a street in Ferguson with a friend, Dorian Johnson.Wilson has not yet spoken publicly but a friend of the family, who declined to be named, told the Guardian that his version of events contradicted aspects of the accounts given by some eyewitnesses, including Dorian Johnson.There appears to be little dispute that an altercation took place when Wilson encountered Brown and Johnson, shortly after a robbery at a convenience store. After the alceraction, Brown then made off down the street, pursued by Wilson, but quickly turned back. The conclusion of the autopsy is supported by Wilson’s account of the incident when he encountered Brown walking in the middle of a street in Ferguson with a friend, Dorian Johnson.
In Wilson’s version, he opened fire when Brown was moving towards himin a “threatening” manner. Accordig to the New York Times, the autopsyconcludes that all the shots were fired from the front.Wilson’s account is that Brown continued to move towards him even after he opened fire, and did not stop until suffering a mortal wound to the head. “He just kept coming,” the friend said, relaying Wilson’s account.Friends of the Wilson family and his girlfriend, Barb Spradling, an officerwith the St Louis county force, have expressed concern about the racial and institutional politics involved, worrying that the charged environment may unduly influence the case.In addition to concerns for their safety, friends of Spradling and Wilson believe Wilson’s reputation has been unfairly tarnished by a rush to judgment from the media and some members of the public.One friend of Spradling believes the legitimacy of any evidence supporting Wilson’s version of events will be questioned by protesters.In St Louis, a crowd of about 150 people gathered in support of Wilson. Some wielded placards with messages defending the 28-year-old officer and his family.“He was doing his job,” said Kaycee Reinisch, 57, of Lincoln County, Missouri. “And now because of public uproar in Ferguson, he is being victimised. He is being victimised by the whole city, the state and the federal government.” Reinisch said she had relations in law enforcement who would be “frightened to do their jobs” if Wilson were punished for the incident.A coalition of civil rights groups earlier condemned the imposition of a curfew. The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said the order violated the constitutional right to free assembly.The order, imposed by the governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, fell short of legal requirements to define the area affected by the curfew, the groups said. “People have a right to know when and where their conduct is lawful under all circumstances, but especially when the government is restricting activities that are protected by the first amendment,” their statement read. “Restricting this most fundamental of all American values is not a solution to the problems in Ferguson.”The Department of Justice, which is leading a civil-rights investigation into the killing, on Sunday took the unusual step of ordering a federal medical examiner to conduct an autopsy on Brown’s body. A spokesman for Eric Holder, the attorney general, cited the “extraordinary circumstances” of the case for the decision. Thecircumstances of Brown’s death remain murky and his family had demanded a federal autopsy in an attempt to bring clarity.Nixon blamed the local police chief in Ferguson for renewed violence in the city, condemning the release of security camera footage and a police report that implicated Brown in petty theft at a convenience store a few minutes before he was shot dead. The DoJ also made it clear at the weekend that it had opposed publication of the pictures.“I think it had an incendiary effect,” Nixon said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.Nixon claimed that the curfew strategy was working. “I thought that last night with the help of the community a solid step forward was made,” he said. Wilson has not yet spoken publicly but a friend of the family, who declined to be named, told the Guardian that his version of events contradicted aspects of the accounts given by some eyewitnesses, including Dorian Johnson.
There appears to be little dispute that an altercation took place when Wilson encountered Brown and Johnson, shortly after a robbery at a convenience store. After the alceraction, Brown then made off down the street, pursued by Wilson, but quickly turned back.
In Wilson’s version, he opened fire when Brown was moving towards himin a “threatening” manner. According to the New York Times, the autopsyconcludes that all the shots were fired from the front.
Wilson’s account is that Brown continued to move towards him even after he opened fire, and did not stop until suffering a mortal wound to the head. “He just kept coming,” the friend said, relaying Wilson’s account.
Friends of the Wilson family and his girlfriend, Barb Spradling, also a Ferguson police officer, have expressed concern about the racial and institutional politics involved, worrying that the charged environment may unduly influence the case.
In addition to concerns for their safety, friends of Spradling and Wilson believe Wilson’s reputation has been unfairly tarnished by a rush to judgment from the media and some members of the public.
One friend of Spradling believes the legitimacy of any evidence supporting Wilson’s version of events will be questioned by protesters.
In St Louis, a crowd of about 150 people gathered in support of Wilson. Some in the mostly white crowd wielded placards with messages defending the 28-year-old officer and his family.
“He was doing his job,” said Kaycee Reinisch, 57, of Lincoln County, Missouri. “And now because of public uproar in Ferguson, he is being victimised. He is being victimised by the whole city, the state and the federal government.” Reinisch said she had relations in law enforcement who would be “frightened to do their jobs” if Wilson were punished for the incident.
A coalition of civil rights groups earlier condemned the imposition of a curfew. The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said the order violated the constitutional right to free assembly.
The order, imposed by the governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, fell short of legal requirements to define the area affected by the curfew, the groups said. “People have a right to know when and where their conduct is lawful under all circumstances, but especially when the government is restricting activities that are protected by the first amendment,” their statement read. “Restricting this most fundamental of all American values is not a solution to the problems in Ferguson.”
The Department of Justice, which is leading a civil-rights investigation into the killing, on Sunday took the unusual step of ordering a federal medical examiner to conduct an autopsy on Brown’s body. A spokesman for Eric Holder, the attorney general, cited the “extraordinary circumstances” of the case for the decision. Thecircumstances of Brown’s death remain murky and his family had demanded a federal autopsy in an attempt to bring clarity.
Nixon blamed the local police chief in Ferguson for renewed violence in the city, condemning the release of security camera footage and a police report that implicated Brown in petty theft at a convenience store a few minutes before he was shot dead. The DoJ also made it clear at the weekend that it had opposed publication of the pictures.
“I think it had an incendiary effect,” Nixon said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.Nixon claimed that the curfew strategy was working. “I thought that last night with the help of the community a solid step forward was made,” he said.