Witnesses and police are sharing two very different accounts of what happened on Saturday, August 9th — when a St. Louis police officer shot and killed an 18-year-old, unarmed man. For his father and his mother there is not question about what happened. The police over-reacted and used deadly force when it was uncalled for.
They all say a six-year veteran officer of the Ferguson Police Department fired multiple shots at Brown.
The police chief said as the officer exited his squad car, one of the teens allegedly shoved him back into his squad, and assaulted him.
“The genesis of this was a physical confrontation,” Jon Belmar, chief of the St. Louis County Police Department, said at a Sunday news conference. Belmar said there was a struggle over the officer’s weapon, and at least one shot was fired inside the car — but it didn’t hit anyone. When the teens ran from the car, the officer opened fire and one of them was gunned down about 35 from the squad car.
Witnesses have a very different version of the events. They say Brown did nothing to instigate the shooting and appeared to be surrendering when he was killed.
Witnesses say Michael Brown was walking in the middle of the street with a friend when the officer drove up and ordered them to the sidewalk. Brown’s friend told the officer they were just minutes from their destination and were just taking a short cut across the street.
The officer ordered them to get back on the other side and an argument broke out between the officer and the older teens. One witness says that the officer got out of his squad car and fired a shot. What is not clear is why or where he was aiming.
Both teens ran, this witness says, and a second shot was fired.
Brown’s friend hid behind a car — but he says Brown stopped after the second shot was fired — holding his hands in the air to show he was unarmed. That’s when Brown’s friend and at least one witness say the officer fired at Brown two more times.
Brown then collapsed and died in the street.
The police chief said a medical examiner will issue a ruling regarding how many times Brown was shot — but the police chief said “it was more than just a couple (times).
Brown was supposed to start classes at Vatterott College today.Brown was spending the summer in the neighborhood with his grandmother, Desuirea Harris, where he had a summer job and was helping her out.
The St. Louis County Crimes Against Persons Unit has taken over the investigation at the request of the Ferguson Police Chief. They have requested the assistance of the FBI.