Multiple Radio Descriptions of Suspects in the Robbery, but Wilson was Unaware

[alcibiades_mystery]

The first officer (Officer A) reports to the scene of the alleged robbery, where police dispatch conveys over the radio a very vague description (a "B/M in a white t-shirt&quot headed north on W. Florrisant toward the Quik Trip; the officer drives up W. Florrisant, but sees nobody matching that description, so he returns to the site of the alleged robbery. There he encounters a clerk in the parking lot. The clerk points north on W. Florrisant Avenue, like, they went thataway. The police officer gets information, but puts the full description out over the radio: "I gave out this information over the radio...," then actually drives north up W. Florrisant again to the Quiktrip and looks inside. He doesn't see anyone matching the description.

Now, on to p. 10 of the PDF

A second officer (Officer B) also hears the initial description ("black male wearing a white shirt&quot and heads to the scene (presumably the store at the corner of Ferguson and W. Florrisant). The other officer arrived first, and provides him with the full description. So this second officer heads north on W. Florrisant, also looking for two black males, one of which is presumably described very well ("advised that the suspect was wearing a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, yellow socks and wearing a red hat&quot . The officer drives up to the QuikTrip, then up the road off the QuikTrip (Northwinds Estate Drive), which he also canvassed, but didn't locate the suspects, so returned to service.

The timeframe of all these goings on is very confused. Officer A notes that he gets the initial call from dispatch at "approx 11:51," though the log puts it earlier (11:48). This time seems more reasonable, as (if we assume Brown and Johnson were actually involved, and I think we have to) it takes around 8 minutes to walk from the site of the alleged robbery to Canfield Drive where brown was killed. Officer B states that he arrives on the scene of the alleged robbery at 11:58. We know from the logs that EMS had already been called by 12:04.

Two points of note:

1) It's actually quite remarkable that neither officer, but especially Officer A, didn't spot Brown and Johnson traveling north on W. Florrisant. They turned on to Canfield (rather than continuing on to the QuikTrip and Northwinds Estate), but that walk takes at least 5-6 minutes from Ferguson, including crossing the busy street. Given the rapid response time - Officer A was at the scene of the alleged robbery within 3 minutes, and reported speeding off north on W. Florrisant looking for the suspects - it would seem that they missed each other by probably a few seconds after the two turned on to Canfield. It couldn't have been long.

2) The shooting almost certainly happened while the two officers were canvassing for the two well described young men, in that area, but Officer Wilson was unaware of a) the initial dispatch call, or b) the subsequent radio call within a few hundred yards of his position, with an almost exact description of the two men he was looking at? Officer A states unequivocally that he put a full description over the radio, probably around 11:56-11:58. Brown is shot and killed no later than 12:04, and probably closer to 12:02. But Wilson didn't hear the radio call? He wasn't in his cruiser? What?

I get that things are confusing put there, and all times are approximate, but this stuff was literally happening in sometimes less than a quarter mile radius.

[hedgehog]

1. It looks to me on Google Earth that whoever stole the cigars could

have ducked into any of a dozen stores or gone through a parking lot to a side street.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. That's certainly true, but I would suggest two problems

They can duck into a store, for sure, especially if they see a cruiser flying up W. Florrisant from the direction of the intersection of Ferguson and Florrisant. Or, once they cross back to the east side of W. Florrisant, they cut through parking lots on to, like, Ellison Drive. Perhaps.

Two issues:

1) If they duck into a store, it doesn't give them much time to get all the way to shooting site unless they're in and out in a few seconds.

2) Either scenario suggests evasive tactics, but why would they be evading police on W. Florrisant, while strolling directly in front of a police cruiser a few minutes later on Canfield. We're talking literally minutes. So, they duck, bob, weave, cut parking lots and alleys and backyards at 11:56, but block traffic and debate with a cop at 12:02. Sorry, but that dog don't hunt.

[hedgehog]

3. I meant to suggest how two men at the store might have gotten out of sight

while two other men went for a walk down Canfield.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Mr. Johnson communicated that it was them, and Mr. Brown's family attorney just said

it appears to be Mike Brown as well.

It seems clear to me that the people in the store are Mike Brown and Dorian Johnson.

What happened in the store seems less clear. What happened on Canfield is completely unclear.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

5. It has been reported the Wilson was on a "sick call" immediately preceding the shooting. I

don't know what a "sick call" is but perhaps it was something where Wilson was out of his cruiser and had his radio volume turned down while speaking with someone and that's why he didn't hear the dispatch.

Does't matter, though. What matters are the circumstances that led to him shooting Mike while Mike was in a prone posture of surrender.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. I agree with you for the most part

If the second radio call for a robbery came in while he was interacting with Brown and Johnson, however, then it does matter.

They still can't explain why he shoots a prone and surrendering Brown in the street, though, but they start to put together a plausible argument for fear, which, as we know, is all a white cop (or wannabe cop) needs to excuse just about anything.