Over at the BBC website, there's an interview with a police officer from the St. Louis area who also happens to be black and female. What she has to say to Aleem Maqbool in a matter of fact tone is a different view of the situation than we've been getting. An excerpt here:
So when black people in Ferguson say the issue is not just about Michael Brown, but the way they have been treated as a community, do you agree?
I can completely agree with that. It [the killing of Michael Brown] should be a learning experience.
Quite possibly the officer was in fear, as was the young man. It is sad no one is addressing that. Why was he [the police officer] so afraid of him that he had to use such intense force, and why was [Michael Brown] in such fear that it happened [that] way?
I don't know who is to blame for these perceptions, but it's almost like a fear-based society. You're told this certain type of people behaves in a certain type of way, and it sticks with you throughout your life. They never take the time to find out if it's true.
Read the whole thing - it's short, but very much to the point. It's also the kind of interview the American media seems to have trouble getting.