CNN Airs ‘Officer’s Side of Story,’ as Recounted by ‘Friend’ of Darren Wilson

[big_dog]

On Monday afternoon CNN aired audio from a radio interview in which an alleged friend of Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson recounted the officer’s side of the story. Wilson fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown last Saturday, sparking a week of protests and international headlines. The officer’s supposed friend, identified only as “Josie,” called into The Dana Show on NewsTalk 97.1 KTFK to share his story.

Don Lemon cautioned viewers that, as with any witness account, this is unproven and simply just another side of the story. However, he noted, CNN confirmed that Josie’s account of the story matches what the network’s sources say police have told investigators.
According to Josie, Officer Wilson was aware of the convenience store robbery and had flagged down Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson for walking in the middle of the street. When he realized the description on the police radio matched that of Brown, he pulled up near them to get out of the car. That’s when, as Josie told host Dana Loesch, Brown allegedly shoved the officer back into his cruiser and punched him in the face.

Josie alleged that Brown reached for Wilson’s gun and, at one point, had it completely turned against the officer’s hip. When the officer shoved the weapon away, it fired, she said. “Michael takes off with his friend,” she continued. “And they get to be about 35 feet away.” Josie asserted that Wilson then followed police protocol by pursuing Brown and telling him to “freeze.” She claimed that Brown “started hounding” the officer, suggesting he wouldn’t actually fire the weapon at the teenagers.

“All of the sudden, [Brown] just started to bum rush him,” Josie added. “He just started coming at him, full-speed, and so [Wilson] just started shooting, and [Brown] just kept coming.” And more: “So [Wilson] really thinks [Brown] was on something, because he just kept coming. It was unbelievable. And so he finally ended up, the final shot was in the forehead, and then he fell about two to three feet in front of the officer.” http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnn-airs-officers-side-of-story-as-recounted-by-friend-of-darren-wilson/

[MohRokTah]

1. Trial balloon

Darren Wilson can now show up at any time and reject part or all of this story with no problems at all. Meanwhile "HE CHARGED THE COP" is spread far and wide,

[big_dog]

2. cold blooded murder one!! (and nothing else)

the last shot to the forehead at close range

[upaloopa]

3. Well that account is not what three witnesses saw.

I believe the three witnesses. Michael Brown was not facing the cop when he first shot.
This person is not a witness.

[MohRokTah]

5. Four witnesses

Dorian Johnson, Tiffany Mitchell, Piaget Crenshaw, and Thee Pharoah. The last is a rapper who live tweeted it.

[upaloopa]

6. Thanks I did not know that

[big_dog]

10. this may be the trial baloon of the offical police cover story

will anyone believe this?

[MohRokTah]

12. Then you have a St. Louis Dispatch reporter tweeting this bullshit

Christine Byers
‏@ChristineDByers

Police sources tell me more than a dozen witnesses have corroborated cop's version of events in shooting #Ferguson

What she fails to report is that THERE IS NO FUCKING COP'S VERSION! Whe have an anonymous caller to a rightwing radio program's version.

Twitter link

You now have the police who are supposed to be investigating the murder acting as the murderer's PR people and the prosecuting attorney acting as his defense attorney.

[Quayblue]

4. why is the officer so afraid to tell this story himself

instead of sending people out into the media to do his work for him? If he did it, he needs to tell the public something. Hiding in a corner somewhere is not going to resolve this.

[brooklynite]

14. ...because his Lawyer is telling him not to.

Seriously, anyone facing felony jail time would be an idiot to say anything personally in advance of a trial.

[Quayblue]

17. Makes sense....

but I still don't see how it's any better for have people speaking for him. Not a good look either.

[Unvanguard]

7. How far away was Michael Brown from the police car when he died?

I thought he was roughly 35 feet away? This account has him two to three feet away from the police officer--which suggests that the police officer moved more than he did.

[logosoco]

8. Is CNN going over and over this as they do with many things?

That,in itself is a huge problem. People hear it often enough and it becomes "the truth".

I don't watch TV, just clips on the net, but I am sure I saw the Ferguson chief of police say that the "officer" was not aware of the "robbery" at the time of the shooting.

This Josie is saying what people want to hear (well, some people). Ferguson needs to just release the information. Waiting for the FBI to do it just makes their department look...well, I guess as bad as they are. I can understand the citizens anger at this.

[KansDem]

9. Hmmm...Ferguson hires a PR firm yesterday...

City of Ferguson hires PR help

The City of Ferguson has hired a Chesterfield-based public relations firm to handle the crush of media requests.

The 21,000 person city, which has been plunged into a crisis after the fatal shooting death of Michael Brown, on Monday began directing all questions to Common Ground PR. The PR firm includes a specialty in "crisis management."

"Common Ground Public Relations helps organizations prepare and respond to crises affecting their operations as well as their reputation," the company's website says. "We believe that safeguarding a company’s reputation and its bottom line requires crisis-related public relations strategies that include media relations, social and online outreach, community outreach and third-party collaborations. We can help with preparation, training, in-the-midst support, and the re-establishment of trust after the storm."

St. Louis Post Dispatch

...and at 2:01 in the afternoon, "Josie" appears.

Hmmm...

[BronxBoy]

19. You noticed that too I see.....

I sure hope these fuckers get what's coming to them

[underthematrix]

11. the friend of

murderer and klannie darren wilson is actually a witness for the defense. Listen carefully the opening salvo of her statement.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

13. "Just like any eyewitness, this is their account, this is her account"

Good God. This unidentified lady was not an eyewitness. She wasn't a witness, period. To equate her hearsay account, even if she does know the officer (and supposedly this is a third hand account, from the girlfriend of Wilson who then told her) with direct percipient witnesses who identified themselves and their locations at the time of the shooting to me is journalistic malpractice. Shame on Don Lemon for giving this crap even the slightest shred of legitimacy.

[safeinOhio]

15. Were there 2 cops in the car?

Thought I had heard that in the beginning.

[mainer]

16. So I could call in as a friend of a friend of Darren Wilson

and say I heard there were little green men involved, and CNN would call me a witness? Cool.

[HooptieWagon]

18. I am a friend of Darren Wilson's pool guy.

I have it on good authority that Darren Wilson was hopped up on amphetimines and steroids when leaving for work that morning, and boasted he was going to kick some black guy's ass that day and claim self-defense.

That's my story... I think I'll call it in to CNN.