Michael Brown Verdict Released - Protests And Rioting Ensues Nationwide

[SugarD]

"On November 24, McCulloch reported in a 20 minute press conference that the grand jury reached a decision in the case and elected not to indict Wilson.

Following the grand jury announcement on November 24, 2014, stating that there would be no indictment of Officer Wilson, several Ferguson businesses were looted and fires were set by protestors."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown#Grand_jury_hearing

Note: Due to the vast number of conflicting and repeatedly updating news stories, I have linked to the Wikipedia page as a "catch-all" source.


For those unaware, the verdict's announcement has caused mass-rioting and protesting throughout the United States. Ferguson, Missouri, (the origin of the situation), has been met with an intense amount of violence comparable to that of the Los Angeles Riots of the early 1990's. Protests and riots have also occurred elsewhere, most notably in New York City, New York, and Oakland, California. Other cities, big and small, have also been directly impacted by the decision, leading to additional violence, blockage of streets, and law enforcement response.

Most of the information on these events has been difficult to come across due to mass confusion and media blackouts being created by local law enforcement agencies and city governments to prevent further attacks and chaos, as well as inconsistent accounts from protesters and witnesses alike.

From my personal experience working last night, several locations in southern Sacramento, California were affected by heavy protesting, rioting, and police attempting to steer traffic away and regain control over looters. During at least one of the incidents, I watched and listened as my local Sheriff's and Police Departments tried to push those involved back, which led to a conflict that had several large chain stores such as Walmart and Sears becoming the breeding ground for further violence.


Others who have personally experienced the situation or have a reputable news source to add may do so here, however any racial or political discussions regarding the subject are not welcome.

[PulseEffect]

Video of the Prosecutor explaining the Grand Jury's decision...

[Exterminator]

This shows the integrity of the police system. They knew that by looking away and indicting Wilson they can easily avoid large riots and damages but still chose to follow the evidence, in the face of rioting and economic loss. Shows that not everyone in america cares only about money over everything else.

[Justin39]

It seems to me that the National Guard/Police Forces that were sent out to stop the riots have done nothing but stop the riots after all the damage has been caused. Monday night, multiple buildings were set on fire, civilians threw rocks and bottles and other objects at the authorities, people were discharging firearms into the air (nobody was shot as far as I know). Tuesday night it wasn't any better then Monday. Civilians attempted to flip a police cruiser, after failing to do so they decided to set it on fire. This shows that authorites can go to the fullest extent to stop these riots, but no matter how hard they try, the protesters running these riots continue to cause hell and chaos in the city of Ferguson, Missouri and the cities around it.

[Exterminator]

It seems to me that the National Guard/Police Forces that were sent out to stop the riots have done nothing but stop the riots after all the damage has been caused. Monday night, multiple buildings were set on fire, civilians threw rocks and bottles and other objects at the authorities, people were discharging firearms into the air (nobody was shot as far as I know). Tuesday night it wasn't any better then Monday. Civilians attempted to flip a police cruiser, after failing to do so they decided to set it on fire. This shows that authorites can go to the fullest extent to stop these riots, but no matter how hard they try, the protesters running these riots continue to cause hell and chaos in the city of Ferguson, Missouri and the cities around it.

It's not easy to contain a riot at all. The law enforcement is against their own people, not against some terrorist faction. Let alone the fact that all such a situation needs is a spark. If they're not careful, it could easily evolve into violence against Whites and families of police officers in general. Heck, some crazy jerk could inspire a mass of em to take hostages and demand that ferguson be made into an independent state, which obviously ain't gonna happen and will probably end in large scale shootouts and lots of deaths.

[AK47]

Murder is a crime unless it is done by an officer.

[Teddy]

Murder is a crime unless it is done by an officer.

False.

There are laws which permit one to use lethal force in certain circumstances; this extends beyond law enforcement. In this specific case the officer was lawful in exhibiting lethal force. This "kid" wasn't some small black punk... he was 6' 4" (~1.9 meters) who had already assaulted the officer, following robbing a store. He was a criminal. He committed a crime, he went after the officer, he failed to listen and the officer defended himself. Had the criminal not been black it would've been filed a clean shooting and swept away like all the others. Nobody would've given a shit. But no because he's black everyone's gonna jump on the prejudice train.

[EliteTerm]

This shows the integrity of the police system. They knew that by looking away and indicting Wilson they can easily avoid large riots and damages but still chose to follow the evidence, in the face of rioting and economic loss. Shows that not everyone in america cares only about money over everything else.

They'll be riots anyway regardless if the person has been indicted.

[SugarD]

Murder is a crime unless it is done by an officer.

That is completely incorrect. In most, if not all states, (including California, where I live), law enforcement must follow a use of force policy, using the minimal amount of force necessary to stop the threat and/or resolve the situation peacefully with minimal injury. That being said, if someone tries to take your life or cause you extreme injury, the minimal amount of force necessary to stop the threat, (in this case, deadly force), should be used in defense. Cops can't just shoot someone for no reason and get away with it. The shooting has to both be justified, and have the use of force policy be properly enforced.

As I mentioned, as every person with law enforcement training in the United States knows, you shoot to stop the threat, not to kill. If the person happens to die, it is a possible, but non-intended result of trying to stop the threat. That is why law enforcement officers always render aid to suspects they have shot that are still alive, and are no longer a threat. It is also a requirement by law, as they are first responders themselves.

Short version: Cops can't get away with murder, and them shooting a deadly threat in defense of life is not murder if properly justified as such.