Police Brutality in Ferguson

     I don't live in Missouri. I'm not there protesting or observing the protest. I am at home, sitting at the computer desk. For the second night in a row, I am watching the live feeds from Ferguson.

     Any mistakes in this account are my own. Here is what I have gathered has been happening in and around Ferguson, Missouri:

On August 9, eighteen year old [?] Michael Brown and a friend were thought to have stolen 48 dollars worth of cigars or cigarellos from a Ferguson convenience store. Several blocks later, an officer in a car stopped the two young men who were on foot. 

Michael did not have a weapon. He possibly was grabbed by the throat by the police officer who was in the car. Michael left and ran off. [I would have ran off too if an officer was wanting to choke me]. The officer maybe gave chase or ordered him to stop or something. Michael did so. The officer thought Michael was acting aggressively even though Michael was unarmed. Michael may have put his hands up. The officer shot him dead six times, including two shots to his head. Michael was dead.

I don't know what happened to his friend.

Ferguson erupted into protests. Included was and is the chant, "Hands Up, Don't Shoot."

The traditional news media typically is portraying the events in Ferguson as being a racial thing-- black versus white.

While it may be true that the police officer is white and Michael was black, bunches of people of all colors are out protesting this police brutality.

Eric Holder said some stuff and has visited or is planning a visit to Ferguson and promises a fair investigation and stuff.

Barack Obama a.k.a. Obummer was going to visit Ferguson but perhaps now is chickening now. Or, he probably ain't coming.

The National Lawyers Guild is in Ferguson. Amnesty was escorted out.

Sunday night, police reported shots fired. The National Guard arrived with heavy duty stuff. On the feeds last night, I saw police in riot gear with riot shields and tasers and stun guns and shooting tear gas and sound cannons. I also saw on the feeds last night a huge black vehicle (a swat tank?).

Cops began to demand that people keep moving and stay off the streets last night on the live feeds.

Then cops reported two shots fired and demanded that the press relocate to a pen near the command post but the road leading to it was blocked. This effectively caused a media blackout. Info from then on came from the cops or from people who were still reporting to the journalists

Some journalists were arrested but later released. 

A bunch of people were arrested. Most of them were arrested for refusing to move.

Reports earlier today[?] that a second black man near Ferguson but not in Ferguson itself was shot by the cops. He stole two drinks from a convenience store and some pastries. The excuse: He was acting erratically.

Things tonight on the feeds are very noisy. Cops are demanding that people stay on the sidewalk, keep moving, and not cross the street.

A grand jury is convening re: the police officer who shot Michael Brown. They do not have to convene in Missouri. I suspect no charges will be brought.

radical sapphoq says: No one deserves to die for stealing small things from a store. The cop couldn't taser Michael Brown or even fire a shot into his kneecap instead of using lethal force???
I am considering taking the professional observer course from the NLG.
To the people of and around Ferguson, Sail Strong. To the family of Michael Brown, I wish you healing and peace.

Three live feeds:

http://www.livestream.com/activistworldnewsnow

http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/9035483/events/3271930

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/9649227/events/3301474 [must create free account]



Two twitter accounts:

https://twitter.com/AnonOpsPro

https://twitter.com/InsideAnon



Some of the many articles:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/us/shooting-accounts-differ-as-holder-schedules-visit.html?_r=0

http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2014/08/19/more-mayhem-in-ferguson/14272717/

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/two-shot-31-arrested-in-another-round-of-violence-/ng5MQ/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/19/politics/missouri-teen-shooting-obama/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/08/19/341574604/fresh-clashes-in-ferguson-mo-as-national-guard-arrives

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/tense-tally-in-ferguson-includes-fires-shootings-and-arrests/article_32463afe-f868-564a-9533-9d8ae0b8df14.html

http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/a-message-to-the-people-of-ferguson/article_ea8b7358-67a3-5187-af8c-169567f27a0d.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/world/europe/russia-iran-and-egypt-heckle-us-about-tactics-in-ferguson.html

http://abcnews.go.com/US/ferguson-chants-heard-st-louis-cops-shoot-suspect/story?id=25041218

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/19/police-officer-shooting-st-louis-dead-knife

http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2014/08/19/78-arrests-ferguson-overnight/14290361/

http://time.com/3144985/ferguson-michael-brown-darren-wilson-us-attorney/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/19/missouri-governor-jay-nixon-shows-us-how-not-to-govern.html