the facts as they are known in this case are:
Wilson had zero notice that Brown was involved in a robbery of any kind whatsoever, even the Ferguson Police chief acknowledged that grudgingly before backtracking on his story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/05/ferguson-chief-lied-about-michael-brown-tape_n_5773420.html
Brown died over 130 feet away from Wilson's vehicle, not the 35 ft Wilson keeps/kept claiming
Ferguson and St. Louis police departments refused to file a police report of the incident, and when pressed on when it would be available replied it would never be available to the public
the rest of the case is up for debate, although it's quite unusual that Wilson would be allowed four straight hours to paint the picture of the calm and collected cop just trying to make the streets safer for everybody, but Dorian Johnson was cross-examined in an effort to undermine his testimony and tie the shooting to the robbery which has already been established as having zero to do with the altercation between Brown and Wilson.
The grand jury got all the information that was available, contradictory as it was, and came to that conclusion, so I'm inclined to assume that their conclusion is more likely than the one of Brown's defenders. Which doesn't have to mean Brown's intent had to be homicidal, merely that Wilson had to have a good reason to believe it was.
But the conclusion that American cops are killing civilians at a stupefying rate is inevitable, and regardless of the exact circumstances of this case, something needs to be done about that. Probably people picked the wrong case to make a big deal out of, but the basic point is not wrong. And I think there is more agreement on that broader point than you'd think by just looking at this case, where both sides are just staying in their usual trenches shooting at each other, disputing not just the interpretation but even the facts - it's difficult to swallow your words and change your mind on a topic as sensitive as this one, unless you're a total outsider (like me).
But that law enforcement is increasingly using excessive violence, that SWAT teams are being used for the most absurd purposes, those are points that conservatives can agree with as well, I think.
i wish we had enough critical thinkers in this country to realize that sending SWAT teams in to collect on a parking ticket is an over-excessive use of force. unfortunately, there are too many who are willing to give police a wider and wider leeway to abuse their position of authority and just look the other way.
"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman
*NM*
- 30/11/2014 08:55:31 PM
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