What’s all this stock piling of weaponry to use against protesters for the upcoming Grand Jury decision? Protesters in Ferguson Missouri are UNARMED. They’re not shooting at police. They have no weapons. They’re exercising their constitutional right to protest an injustice.
Missouri authorities are scarying school officials, parents & residents about possible unrest with the indictment decision. They’re doing nothing but creating fear about black people. It’s beyond the pale. Show me where protesters shot at police? Show me where protesters attacked police. Police ATTACKED protesters. Amnesty International has documented evidence of Ferguson police committing human rights abuse on old people & little children fighting the effects of tear gas. With more stock piling of weapons it seems human rights violations doesn’t mean anything to the police in Ferguson Missouri. Police are acting as if protesters are the enemy. In the words of Dr King, the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. The law is the law.
Shaun King @ShaunKing · 2h 2 hours ago
I made 5 observations from Jay Nixon’s disappointing press conference. See them & add your own
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/11/1344155/-Five-observations-about-the-public-safety-press-conference-from-Gov-Jay-Nixon-and-team …
Excellent article to read in this dire time:
Ella Baker: My Civil Rights Generation’s ‘Fundi’
by Marian Wright Edelman
Excerpt:
“Ella Baker was an outspoken warrior against injustice and inequality her entire life, and always, always unwilling to rest. Her words continue to be a rallying cry for all of us who believe our nation still does not see and value Black and White children’s lives the same way.”
WTF was this press conference for?To tell the world police are getting ready to kill American citizens for protesting an injustice?
What happened, sG2? any vids of this debacle?
I’m waiting on it. Will you post a thread on it? If you have time. Just listen to it and watch Jay Nixon’s arrogance.
https://twitter.com/Lnonblonde/status/532210375627116545
http://instagram.com/p/vREPWCirs2/
Tef Poe: Minutes before I gave my statement at the U.N. today …. Sitting with Meena adding the finishing touches ..one shot .. One kill … Never in a million years imagined I’d be in this room so naturally I’m completely spilling my heart out about what’s going on at home .. I didn’t come to water it down or make the message more PG for ppl that don’t understand ..these red necks have tanks and they’re using them on us!!
https://twitter.com/sweetangelface/status/532203485488357376
Breaking News: @GovJayNixon will hold a news conference at 3pm est on preps for the Grand Jury decision.
So shameful American citizens have to go to the UN about human rights violations. Racist bigots driving the country into the ground.
So sad…..where is the help within our country to address these wrongs??
So upsetting!!!
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/531913954805960704
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/531119035421712384
https://twitter.com/markknoller/status/530878345899425792
https://twitter.com/aclu_mo/status/530392552600764416
Action Alert #Ferguson:
Don’t let Robert McCulloch win tomorrow. Write in a candidate. For the love of God.. Don’t . let . him . win .
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/529097303437488128
This bish has to go.
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/528969349407571970
https://twitter.com/thecrisismag/status/528972323622502400
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/528996181959905281
https://twitter.com/HealSTL/status/528635660710969344
AP: FAA closed Ferguson airspace to block news coverage
http://www.kmbc.com/news/ap-faa-closed-ferguson-airspace-to-block-news-coverage/29491620#.VFapz5KsTK4.twitter
WASHINGTON —The U.S. government agreed to a police request to restrict more than 37 square miles of airspace surrounding Ferguson, Missouri, for 12 days in August for safety, but audio recordings show that local authorities privately acknowledged the purpose was to keep away news helicopters during violent street protests.
On Aug. 12, the morning after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed the first flight restriction, FAA air traffic managers struggled to redefine the flight ban to let commercial flights operate at nearby Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and police helicopters fly through the area – but ban others.
“They finally admitted it really was to keep the media out,” said one FAA manager about the St. Louis County Police in a series of recorded telephone conversations obtained by The Associated Press. “But they were a little concerned of, obviously, anything else that could be going on.
At another point, a manager at the FAA’s Kansas City center said police “did not care if you ran commercial traffic through this TFR (temporary flight restriction) all day long. They didn’t want media in there.”
FAA procedures for defining a no-fly area did not have an option that would accommodate that.
“There is really … no option for a TFR that says, you know, ‘OK, everybody but the media is OK,'” he said. The managers then worked out wording they felt would keep news helicopters out of the controlled zone but not impede other air traffic.
The conversations contradict claims by the St. Louis County Police Department, which responded to demonstrations following the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, that the restriction was solely for safety and had nothing to do with preventing media from witnessing the violence or the police response.
Police said at the time, and again as recently as late Friday to the AP, that they requested the flight restriction in response to shots fired at a police helicopter.
But police officials confirmed there was no damage to their helicopter and were unable to provide an incident report on the shooting. On the tapes, an FAA manager described the helicopter shooting as unconfirmed “rumors.”
The AP obtained the recordings under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. They raise serious questions about whether police were trying to suppress aerial images of the demonstrations and the police response by violating the constitutional rights of journalists with tacit assistance by federal officials.
Such images would have offered an unvarnished view of one of the most serious episodes of civil violence in recent memory.
“Any evidence that a no-fly zone was put in place as a pretext to exclude the media from covering events in Ferguson is extraordinarily troubling and a blatant violation of the press’s First Amendment rights,” said Lee Rowland, an American Civil Liberties Union staff attorney specializing in First Amendment issues.
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement Sunday his agency will always err on the side of safety. “FAA cannot and will never exclusively ban media from covering an event of national significance, and media was never banned from covering the ongoing events in Ferguson in this case.”
Initial Ferguson police report calls Darren Wilson’s testimony into question
http://tiny.cc/5jjnox
Since September, a St. Louis grand jury has been hearing evidence against Officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot teenager Michael Brown on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Mo. causing massive protests and lasting tension between the police force and civilians. While the proceedings of the grand jury are theoretically confidential, specific pieces of information have been leaked, some say with a specific strategy.
CNN pointed out that Wesley Lowry, a reporter from the Washington Post, tweeted, ”Feeling in Ferguson among protest leaders is that leaks are coming from law enforcement in attempt to signal that no indictment coming.” Meanwhile, St. Louis County’s former police chief, Tim Fitch, told local radio station KMOX that it is “probably very unlikely” that the grand jury will indict Wilson, and that the leaks are intended “to start getting some of the facts out there to kind of let people down slowly.”
The most important recent leak was the official autopsy report, first published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Shaun King from The Daily Kos pointed out on Wednesday that within the autopsy is an overlooked gem of evidence: an initial statement given by St. Louis County Police Department’s Detective Patrick J. Hokamp from Wilson’s perspective.
The statement reads:
The deceased and another individual were walking down the middle of the Canfield. Officer D. WILSON DSN-609, of the Ferguson Police Department observed the two individuals, he requested that they get out of the roadway.
The deceased became belligerent towards Officer WILSON. As Officer WILSON attempted to exit out of his patrol vehicle the deceased pushed his door shut and began to struggle with Officer WILSON, during the struggle the Officers weapon was un-holstered. The weapon discharged during the struggle.
The deceased then ran down the roadway. Officer WILSON then began to chase the deceased. As he was giving chase to the deceased, the deceased turned around and ran towards Officer WILSON. Officer WILSON had his service weapon drawn, as the deceased began to run towards him, he discharged his service weapon several times.
King points out four major discrepancies between the report above and Wilson’s alleged testimony, also published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Wilson claimed that he recognized Johnson’s clothing from a radio alert about a suspected robbery; he claimed that he placed his SUV in park; he claimed that Brown punched him in the face until he was nearly unconscious, and he later said that he fired at Brown twice from the car.
“It’s easy to understand, when comparing the discrepancies between the account of Detective Hokamp on the scene that day and the alleged account of Darren Wilson months later, why concerned citizens would think Wilson injected key details later to aid in his own defense,” writes King. “Ultimately, the report from Detective Hokamp raises just as many questions as it gives answers about exactly what happened between Darren Wilson and Mike Brown.”
What I’d like to know is IS it TRUE the DOJ is dropping the civil rights violation investigation against Wilson-Ferguson PD.
Claire McCaskill is behind the scenes trying to get the DOJ to drop the investigations after the Grand Jury announcement. Claire is one dirty dem.
I’m starting to believe that grand juries exist in name only when it comes to policemen that use excessive force on the Black community and kill unarmed Black people. Are policemen hired assassins to exterminate Black people? After awhile, you begin to think that’s true, since they get away with it all the time.
I’m tired of the racist B.S. that Blacks are subjected to, which has last for 150 yrs. Y’all pray for me, I’ve grown weary.
Granny, I hear you and I care so much.
I will say prayers for you for the Lord to sustain your heart which is so beautiful and caring and overworked in the cause of justice and equality.
I (Yahtc) have learned so much from you and have read all of your postings over the last month. You have been an outstanding advocate pushing for a better world. You have touched my heart in so many ways, and I have always appreciated your wisdom.
Hugs <3
I believe that cops are the only defendants that D.A.’s allow to testify before grand juries which are tasked to indict them.
It’s never going to work out for justice because the D.A. depends on the testimony of police in almost all of their cases so there’s an inherent conflict of interest.
Maybe someone needs to pass a law that whenever a police officer is charged with a possible indictment that a retired judge or D.A. automatically replaces the current D.A. to avoid a conflict of interest.
Great idea, roderick.
I’m lost for words and don’t know what else to say about Ferguson. It’s like watching a repeat of Jim Crow all over again. Unbelievable that in this day and age, Blacks are still treated like second class citizens with no rights and treated like animals. It’s like watching a scene on a plantation. Smh!
The media dangled the shiny object and tried to create a distraction with Michael Brown’s autopsy report. He was shot from behind.
http://www.inquisitr.com/1570204/michael-brown-autopsy-shot-from-behind/
Michael Brown, the teenager shot multiple times and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9, was shot at least one time from behind as he fled from Wilson, Brown’s autopsy report reveals — in a detail that has been largely overlooked until recently.
Most reporting of the leaked autopsy results has focused on the alleged findings that Michael Brown suffered a bullet wound at close range to his hand, and that most of the bullet wounds that he suffered struck him from in front, meaning that he was facing Wilson when the officer fired at him.
But there was one shot that, according to forensic pathologist Judy Melinek, hit Brown on the back of his upper arm, consistent with a shot fired at the fleeing teenager’s back.
Multiple witnesses said that Brown fled from Wilson after some sort of altercation in the officer’s patrol car. Wilson chased Brown and fired at him from behind, the witnesses said. Initial media reporting on the autopsy results leaked to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch appeared to discredit those witnesses, saying that Brown showed frontal wounds.
But the media reports largely ignored the single wound that clearly hit Brown from behind, indicating that Darren Wilson fired his weapon at an unarmed, fleeing teenager, aiming at his back.
Initial media reports also stated that the wound to Brown’s thumb — a powder burn and a grazing wound from a bullet — appeared to confirm Daren Wilson’s contention, reportedly in his grand jury testimony, that Brown reached for the officer’s service weapon while Wilson sat in his car.
Other commentators, however, have noted that the wound which ran along Brown’s thumb and outward over his thumb print is more consistent with a defensive wound, caused by Brown attempting to push Wilson’s gun away after the officer had already drawn it and leveled the weapon at him, threatening to kill him.
Melinek also said that Brown’s wound was indeed consistent with a scenario in which Brown was trying to defend himself from Wilson, who was pointing a gun at him from close range.
The official autopsy report findings have not been released to the public. The leak to the St. Louis newspaper, whose story was then carried nationally, was unauthorized. Melinek was not involved in the autopsy and later said her comments had been misinterpreted by The Post-Dispatch.
Melinek added that Brown’s frontal wounds could be consistent with witness reports that his hands were raised in surrender as he faced Wilson, but the officer shot him dead anyway.
Did you see The Last Word last night?
The media and Michael Brown
10/29/14 11:35PM
There’s more fallout after a forensic expert tells Lawrence her “explosive” quote that Michael Brown was “reaching for the gun” was taken out of context
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/the-media-and-michael-brown-349742147535
Ha, ha, ha!!
She lied and tried to backtrack.
She needs to have her license revoked.
Ferguson Police Chief Pressured To Step Down Before Grand Jury Decision
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/10/29/3585781/ferguson-police-chief-shakeup/
According to some government officials, Ferguson’s police chief, Thomas Jackson, may step down from his position early next week. But Jackson and the mayor of the city deny the shakeup.
Those who say Jackson is stepping down believe that his absence could smooth some of the tensions in the city, especially since the grand jury verdict is expected to come next month. Should that happen, the St. Louis County police chief would oversee Ferguson’s police department. But on a phone call with CNN, Jackson said, “Nobody in my chain of command has asked [him] to resign, nor have I been terminated.”
Jackson has been a contentious figure since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Darren Wilson and the subsequent violence between protesters and Ferguson police. He released an official video apology in September. “I’m also aware of the pain and the feeling of mistrust felt in some of the African-American community toward the police department. The city belongs to all of us, and we’re all part of this community. It is clear that we have much work to do. As a community, a city and a nation, we have real problems to solve,” he said.
But even if St. Louis County oversees Ferguson’s police force in the future, that may not lead to the kind of change leaders hope to see.
The St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy drew backlash for a course on how to win over the media after an officer is involved in the shooting. “The training is also highly entertaining. You will learn a lot, and you’ll have fun doing it,” boasted a flier for the training session. St. Louis police officers are also preparing “tear gas, less-lethal ammunition and plastic handcuffs” ahead of the grand jury verdict set for November, which could lead to another violent outbreak.
Racial tension, which is deeply rooted in Ferguson, cannot disappear overnight. St. Louis County is one of the most racially segregated areas in the country, and the alleged shakeup does not address racially imbalanced law enforcement in Ferguson. In a department of 53 officers, only three of Ferguson’s police officers are black. Black people make up roughly 67 percent of the city’s population.
https://twitter.com/ryanjreilly/status/527496356969971712
#FERGUSONTOGENEVA
Police violence in America is a human rights issue.
http://www.fergusontogeneva.org/
In the absence of justice from the local, state, and federal government, the family of Michael Brown and Ferguson protesters are ready to take our case before the global community. We have submitted a brief to the United Nations (UN), and we will formally present it on November 12th and 13th in Geneva, Switzerland. The goal is not only to achieve justice in Ferguson, but to unite governments around the world against the human rights violations that result from racial profiling and police violence.
Keep on Pushin’
https://twitter.com/3ChicsPolitico/status/527475404458569729
UH UH UH. Major hated & bigotry in Missouri
https://twitter.com/ksdknews/status/527410940434583553
https://twitter.com/ArrestWilson/status/527320376804904960
What took them so long? But we must wait and see what truly motivates this action; Our trust in the pureness of their actions has been justifiably non-existent. We’ll see where this leads.
I don’t think any of the so-called “leaders” involved in this expect Darren Wilson to be indicted which is why they are ramping up for a one-sided war with unarmed protesters. And I fail to see how rolling two cop heads, Jackson and Wilson, will be much of a pacifier if Wilson isn’t indicted. What is accomplished by absorbing the Ferguson PD into the St Louis County PD without a plan to reform that agency?
WELL NOW! Trust these steps are a prelude to the grand jury not indicting Darren Wilson. They’re using it to try and soften the BLOW.
Breaking
Ferguson Police Chief Reportedly Set to Step Down
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/ferguson-police-chief-reportedly-set-to-step-down/
CNN’s Evan Perez reported tonight that Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson is expected to step down soon, and the announcement will come next week.
Jackson is apparently stepping down as an effort by local officials “to bring down some of the tensions there” and to show that no matter what the grand jury decides on charging Darren Wilson for killing Michael Brown, they really want to reform.
******************
I’m reading CNN is backtracking on this. They say it’s false but I think it’s true.
Oh Jesse Williams, how do much do I love and admire this strong, unafraid, smart brother?? He is my kind of genuine activist who uses his celebrity well!!! No mealy mouth here. No fear of retaliation from the powers that be, or losing his place in Hollywood. He is unafraid to speak truth to power, and is never about self-promotion. He’s always about the cause!!! What a man!!
https://twitter.com/KMOV/status/527252278898487296
https://twitter.com/FOX2now/status/527248089145688064
https://twitter.com/AllisonBlood/status/527258039032614913
https://twitter.com/shazza_razza/status/527250990999666688
I wonder if they’re “telegraphing” the Grand Jury decision a bit ???? ya think………anyone…..anyone ????
Of course they are, but even Stevie Wonder could see that Wilson wouldn’t be indicted.