Tensions flare anew in wake of Ferguson shooting

[Gore1FL]

Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch

FERGUSON • Tensions are again flaring near a Ferguson apartment complex where a recent Normandy High School graduate was shot dead Saturday afternoon by a Ferguson police officer.

Police from departments throughout St. Louis County are on the scene. Many are armed with assault rifles.

<snip>

The shooting, outside an apartment complex, drew a few hundred people into the street, St. Louis County police said.

Further shots were heard but no one was injured as angry residents screamed obscenities mixed with threats to "kill the police."



Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/fatal-shooting-by-ferguson-police-prompts-mob-reaction/article_04e3885b-4131-5e49-b784-33cd3acbe7f1.html

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He went to My high school (decades after me). This is walking distance from where I currently live and work.

Edited to add: I consider this of "National Importance" because it is one of many incidents in a wave of police violence nation wide.

[Judi Lynn]

1. This surely demands a federal investigation.Unarmed kid, middle of the day, walking to grandmothers.

So now he's dead?

At some point, this has to stop. The right time would have been so long ago.

[Gore1FL]

3. The NAACP says it wants the FBI to investigate.

So far it has been escalated only to the St. Louis County Police Dept.

[SkyDaddy7]

37. What do you think would happen if...

The crowds of angry civilians began OPEN CARRYING assault weapons like the Bundy Ranch GOONS did??

Seriously, what if a group of African Americans showed up legally OPENLY CARRYING assault weapons? Taking up sniper positions on roof tops of personal homes?

It just disgust me how cops act in general I can only imagine what it must feel like to be an African American in this country, especially in poor neighborhoods, having to deal with & fear a loved one could be killed at anytime for something petty or in many cases nothing at all...Then to having to deal with the fact nothing ever happens to the cops who murder their loved ones & friends. It is just sad & infuriating at the same time.

[freebrew]

38. Apparently, the 2nd amendment doesn't apply to African Americans...

SWAT would prolly put them down.

This city is seconds away from retaliation. I don't blame them.
I heard this yesterday while visiting St. Louis.

If true, this cop needs murder 1 charges, NOW.

[OKNancy]

2. my twitter feed exploded in the last few hours

with this news

[7962]

4. All I know is he got shot. Couldnt the story have told what happened?

a couple stories on google are equally vague. So what happened?

[Gore1FL]

8. Still not a lot of information.

Most of the info has been disjointed and incomplete that I've heard so far. I have a FB friend who lives in the next neighborhood who has been reporting a lot of pedestrian and police activity, including air units, Canine, etc. I'm relying on her and the updates to the link I posted for most of my info. I've got the twitter feed that OKNancy posted open in another tab, but haven't read it yet.

Apparently Someone saw the police interacting with the kid. The kid, with his hands up, tried to flee. Shots were fired. Two hit, one hit him in the head and the other in his chest.


"Chest" implies he was facing them, and fleeing implies that he was not. From what I have read, I'm not sure I understand this eyewitness account.

[freebrew]

39. Channel 4 news said:

he was kneeling with his hands up and the cop shot him several times.

This was an execution, if true.

[OKNancy]

5. really good twitter to see some of what is going on

you can see it even if you don't have a twitter account

https://twitter.com/AntonioFrench

[Gore1FL]

7. Thanks for the link! n/t

[ReRe]

6. I wonder how many of these we get a day now?

You can call me an alarmist if you want, but this society is cracking apart a little more every day.

[RKP5637]

11. It is! And police doing murders seems to be getting epidemic! n/t

[Gore1FL]

25. Or at least our awareness of them.

It seems like the rise of cameras correlates to the rise of police abuse-of-power.

[RKP5637]

26. Excellent point! I just shudder to think what went on in decades past without the power of

cameras and instant national recognition of some of the atrocities created by some cops.

[xmas74]

9. It's going to be of national importance soon enough.

I've had messages on FB mentioning statewide demonstrations and protests against what has happened, against racial disparity in Missouri to this very day and against the use of excessive force.

I live on the other side of the state and there's been something brewing, just under the surface, for a long time. This might be what brings it to a head. Unfortunately it'll come about because of a death.

[conservaphobe]

10. This needs to stop. nt

[RKP5637]

12. How will this happen ... Seems in some cities this has been going on for decades. There

is a lot of outcry at the time, but then little action occurs. More and more citizens are the enemy and guilty until proven innocent.

[conservaphobe]

14. It's frustrating because I can't think of a solution.

But know there needs to be one.

[RKP5637]

15. Agree and very frustrating. It really needs to be a national priority, but I've never heard of

anything. It seems after 911 cops because more and more emboldened ... and with the Patriot Act ... and then DHS giving local police military grade equipment. I often feel some are becoming like the SS in WWII. It's very unnerving ... and much of it seems to get a free pass.

[Gore1FL]

27. Putting criminal cops in prison would be a start.

The same standard they apply to the community needs to be applied to them.

[TBF]

13. St. Louis is a major city and the protests could get worse -

and they could spread. I think this makes it very much a story of national import. We have to decide as a society what we are willing to live with. I'm not thrilled with the prospect of the police being given carte blanche to shoot unarmed people because they are too damned lazy to chase them. Further, the Trayvon Martin case, though in Florida, added fuel to the fire. Multiple incidents are getting increasingly worse and it is not just happening in one small area. This is a problem and I think we should all be talking about it.

[RKP5637]

16. It needs to be a national priority ... but I've heard nothing. It seems each day there are more and

more incidents wherein cops have crossed the line.

[Delver Rootnose]

19. Why do you think...

...there are so many police there to 'quiet' aka pacify the neighborhood. The police cannot risk that the protests spread or turn violent.

[TBF]

24. Yup. I've noticed that if you turn up in a park in NYC

to air grievances you are surrounded and threatened. Of course if you are just up the STREET and happen to swindle half the country's 401Ks then you are likely out dining at an expensive restaurant with an up and coming presidential candidate.

It's pretty easy to see what's going on. As Carlin said - it's a club and we aren't in it.

[RKP5637]

28. Exactly!!! "As Carlin said - it's a club and we aren't in it." I loved George Carlin, he was

brilliant! Always told it like it is, he cut through all of the BS and propaganda.

[Stonepounder]

35. Unfortunately, its been going on for over 150 years and it doesn't seem to be changing.

Policeman shoots a black youth.
Community is outraged.
Calls for investigation.
Officer is cleared of wrongdoing.
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

There are numerous variations of the above, but it all works out the same. We may have demonstrations. We may have anger. It may make the local news. It may make the national news. There may be more anger and demonstrations. It may actually erupt into riots. Remember Watts in 1965? Remember Rodney King in 1992? How about Harlem in 1935, 1943 and 1964?

And what has really changed? The 'cop shoots black' scenario above still play out with mind numbing frequency across this wonderful 'land of the free and home of the brave' and nothing fucking changes. A white teen walks down the street carrying a loaded shotgun and gets cited for 'failing to provide identification' and goes on his way. A black teen picks up a toy gun in a big box store and is shot dead by police.

Pardon me, I think I'll go back to playing Diablo III for a bit. At least the line between good and evil is pretty clear.

[DallasNE]

17. Police Now Operate In Commando Operations

Following the militarization of police departments nationwide.

It was about 4 months ago that police came knocking on my daughter's apartment door. When a roommate opened the door the police barged in, guns drawn. Later they learned that there had been a robbery about a mile away by a black man and a black man was visiting at my daughters apartment. They cuffed him and took him out to be identified by the person that was robbed and he instantly said he wasn't the person that robbed him, reminding the police that the suspect was about 5'11" and 225 while this person is 6'1" and 175. Maybe if they wouldn't be spending their time profiling and instead following leads they could solve some crime. But that would be asking too much. Oh, and there was no apology for scaring the crap out of 3 people in that manner. All just in a day's work.

[RKP5637]

29. I think for some cops this is a recreational sport for them! Sadly! n/t

[LovingA2andMI]

18. If you can't handle this....skip this reply....

The life of an African-American Female or Male is worth less than to, way too damn many in this country. We are temporarily outraged. Protests are called. The same Activists show up on the scene days after. The National Media make it a story, again temporarily. Some will use it as a cry to "take guns off the street"....like that ever will really happen, NOT.

Someone (usually the shooter but not ALWAYS) will be charged. The victim family will cry for justice. More press conferences of family members in pain by the lost or their son, daughter, mom, dad, cousin, nephew or niece will take place. The on-call Activists are standing there for this press conference. Someone will make an memorial shirt. Then a memorial picture. Next, someone else will take this picture, place it on MANY T-Shirts and try to make a profit.

The jury hears the evidence. The shooter -- especially if they are NOT African-American -- have a 85% chance of being found "innocent" - 15% Guilty. In this case, the shooter is found innocent.

More outrage. Another call to "stop the violence", "keep the peace" as anger builds. A couple of minor incidents happen but nothing serious.

There's a call for a "Federal Investigation" -- which never seem to materialize. The family moves away from the spotlight. The story moves out of the "National Focus". The outrage folks go back to their daily lives.

And the African-American Man or Woman is still dead, until.....this whole sick cycle repeats itself yet again.....

So, no...sadly, America is no way is "tired" of this. In fact, they know full well how this sick, repeating cycle will play out.

RIP- Michael Brown -- The latest Victim of Walking, Running, Living and Breathing, while Black -- and shot to death.

[Delver Rootnose]

20. And you forgot to mention...

...the occasional financial settlement. The one that makes it seem like justice was done and that money will somehow make up for the loss of life. One that lets the cop shooter off with no punishment because of the immunity of the badge, and of course no incentive to change. The one that will let the police off the hook because it is only taxpayers money and just a cost of doing business.

[LovingA2andMI]

21. Completely, fair point!

Thanks for making it.

[DeSwiss]

22. K&R

[Earth_First]

23. +1

Give them the tools to play commando...and they're going to play commandos on the streets of the United States.

Go figure

This trend needs to end.

Immediately.

[NutmegYankee]

36. +1