I've seen three different pieces of media recorded immediately after the shooting by witnesses. There's this one, which I'm only linking because it took 10 seconds to find. I don't have time to dig up the others. Another one taken from a window by someone who started recording the scene and talking about it immediately after he died. And then an audio recording from someone who was in a Skype call, and described what he was witnessing as it took place during the call. The people in these media bits all plainly state that he had Brown had his hands in the air, and they all express shock at the officer's actions. If Brown had been attacking the officer, I don't believe people would be reacting this way immediately during or after witnessing the event.
I think we should refer to their actual testimony, not a video of some of them reacting minutes after the traumatic event.
Why? I would think of immediate reaction as the most honest indication of what happened vs detailed descriptions of the event by people who have had time to mix memory with agenda or other influences.
As for your link to the compilation of witness testimonies, I honestly didn't know there were so many. Like I said, I just haven't had time to stay in touch with things for over a month. I've been basing my argument on the witnesses that came forth in the first month or so following the event. So I guess you've got that on me. However, the picture you're painting still doesn't match the version of events that the article you linked deems most likely according to their analysis of the witness testimonies, compiling the bits of information that are most consistent between the witnesses that seem the most reliable.
Synthesis
I'm throwing out some of the witnesses right off the bat. 40 (the convenient visiting racist), 35 (who has Brown kneeling and crying out), 10 (who provides additional activities for Johnson and keeps saying Wilson "returned fire"), and 46 (who seems to have spent most of the time either hiding or in justifiable hysterics). From what's left, there are parts of the narrative that are still necessarily fuzzy, but the overall shape seems fairly well defined.
Beginning
Brown and Johnson are walking down the middle of the road when Wilson approaches. He pulls past them, exchanges a few words, then abruptly backs up his SUV–fast enough to generate a screech that draws the attention of several witnesses. Wilson and Brown exchange more words. Wilson reaches out and grabs Brown by the shirt, tugging him toward the SUV. Brown reacts by both punching toward Wilson and pushing against the vehicle. Wilson leans to his right, pulls his gun, and fires a first shot from inside the SUV, with the bullet striking Brown in the hand. Wilson fires a second shot out the window of the SUV, missing. Brown breaks away, and both Brown and Johnson run. A few seconds after Brown leaves the SUV, Wilson follows.
Middle
Brown runs about 50 yards, while Wilson moves more slowly, traveling under half that distance. Brown reaches an area near a drive, and stumbles to a halt. Suddenly, he seems to realize that he's been shot. He raises his hands, looking at the blood. Shaken, he turns back toward Wilson. By this point, Wilson has advanced a few more yards. He stops and takes up a position with his gun in both hands.
End
Brown flings his hands up toward his face. Whether he actually intends to surrender or is simply shocked at his injury isn't clear. He take a few steps, probably no more than three or four, back toward Wilson, lowering his hands as he goes. Wilson fires a barrage of shots. Brown halts. He is injured, and his knees are folding. Wilson shouts at Brown to stop. In both shock and pain, Brown leans forward. He raises his hands toward his chest, probably toward a wound. His knees are buckling. He is stooped over enough that some people see him as "curled up" and one witness thinks he is on his knees. Struggling to not fall, he staggers on. Wilson begins to fire again. Brown topples, falling toward Wilson as final shots rake across him.
The actual witness statements don't seem to support either a stationary Brown who holds his arms stiffly upright while Wilson approaches and shoots him down. Neither do they support a charging monster, snarling for revenge. Instead they show an 18 year-old, shocked to see his own blood, stumbling on in confusion and an officer who mistakes his thousand-yard-stare and uncertain advance for aggression.
I haven't gone over the witness accounts of this part carefully, since it seems like a hard situation to observe accurately. But as for your question... What would you have suggested Wilson do? Lean out the window and shout at Brown in public? Or, just leave? White people can't jaywalk in front of cops with impunity either, particularly if they're acting suspiciously or aggressively.
Cops walk up to suspects constantly, it's basically their job. Instead of being afraid of large people, they assume that people know assaulting an officer is a very serious crime and escalation. Think "suicide by cop".
Approaching Brown discreetly *was* the most civilized option. In response Brown punched him in the face for it and tried to steal his *gun*. Two shots were fired at point blank while Brown was at the car, and neither hit Brown. How else do you explain that?
He didn't just approach Brown. He halted his vehicle and altered course spontaneously enough to screech his tires, and pulled his vehicle directly up next to the suspects. That is not the behavior of anyone approaching a situation calmly, strategically, or civilly. That is the behavior of someone looking to start some shit, and is incredibly likely to be perceived this way by the other party, putting them in a fearful position, even if an intense encounter wasn't intended. This also isn't the slightest bit proportionate to a refusal to stop jaywalking.
Also, leaning out the window and shouting at Brown in public
is exactly what he did. Followed by Brown and Johnson refusing, and Wilson then pulling his vehicle up next to them.
Approaching them in closer quarters to engage more personably (without slamming on the brakes and swinging the vehicle around abruptly...) would perhaps be appropriate if they weren't acting suspiciously or aggressible, but according to Wilson's own story, this wasn't the case. In this case, I would think a more appropriate approach would be to slow down and stop a good distance away, call for back-up and observe for a moment how the suspects are behaving. If they're not fleeing or attacking, simply step out and announce that they've refused a lawful order and they should reconsider. See where that goes. Talk to them. If they seem reasonable, do so as you would with a normal person. If they don't keep your distance and avoid escalating.
Instead of being afraid of large people, they assume that people know assaulting an officer is a very serious crime and escalation. Think "suicide by cop".
In summary, this seems to be a very common perspective, and I completely disagree with it. It's not about being afraid. It's about approaching every situation and reasonably and non-violently as possible. Avoiding any form of escalation. Immediately getting in people's faces and reaching for weapons while shouting orders is the exact opposite of this, but it's what I see in almost every single case where a cop kills somebody.
The shooting of Kajieme Powell also in the St Louis area only a few days after Brown is a perfect example. Guy acting suspiciously. Obviously going to be a tense situation. So what do they do? Come roaring up in their car, stop and get out within lunging distance of the guy, pull out their weapons and start shouting, and then shoot him when he approaches. There's no attempt to assess the situation before acting, and no excuse for this because he wasn't harming anybody. There's no waiting for the back-up that is less than a minute away. There is no attempt to establish or maintain safe distance. Nothing. It was obviously suicide by cop, yes, but the result cannot be blamed entirely on the suspect when the police have every opportunity to approach the situation in such a way that obliging his suicide attempt shouldn't be necessary.
Edit: Again, this definitely deserved an actual trial. Not a bunch of forum discussions and public outrage. Terribly mishandled.
At least we agree on this.
Are you suggesting that an officer of the law's ideal reaction to intimidation is to stay completely out of confrontation range?
Absolutely! I don't understand why there is disagreement on this. I'm not saying that police should avoid confrontation. I'm saying they shouldn't engage in it in such a way that makes the situation more fear-provoking and dangerous for everyone. If they think somebody is going to behave violently, they should keep a distance. That's what they have a gun for, right?
When they get within arm's reach of a person that they have any reason to believe may act violently, they are
willfully creating a circumstance where they will be obligated to use deadly force the moment the suspect behaves the slightest bit unpredictably. They are willfully increasing the likelihood that somebody is going to die.
If distance is kept, there is no reason to shoot unless the suspect also pulls a gun, or is likely to succeed in an escape attempt and is an established threat to public safety.
I really don't care how the law says they are or are not allowed to react to a situation. Law and ethics are not one and the same.
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Topic: The Abusive Policing Thread: Beyond Brown, No Justice (Read 445517 times)