Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of death. Reader discretion is advised.
On August 9, 2014, a police officer named Darren Wilson shot an 18-year-old boy, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri. Reports indicate that the police officer told Brown and one of his friends to use the sidewalk for walking. However, the police officer shot Brown multiple after arguing with him. Additionally, his body remained in the street for four hours before being taken for an autopsy. Brown’s death came under national attention, which led many to protest against the authorities.
After the shooting incident, authorities sent Michael Brown’s body for an autopsy and discovered startling details. Citing the report, The New York Times reported that the culprit shot Brown at least six times. The report also found that one of the bullets entered the victim’s skull, causing a fatal injury. Moreover, four bullets hit Brown’s right arm. However, the report stated that Darren Wilson didn’t shoot him from very close range because the medical examiner didn’t find any gunpowder on his body.
Almost a day after Michael Brown’s death, people started protesting against the Ferguson authorities. Initially, the protests were not violent, but they turned fierce when they felt nothing was happening in the case. Per CBS News, the protests prompted the FBI to initiate an investigation into the case. For several days, authorities didn’t release the name of the officer who shot Brown. But they eventually announced the name of Darren Wilson as the name of the officer who killed Brown.
Michael Brown’s death: Why did Ferguson police officer Darren Ferguson shoot him?
There have been several debates about why Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown on August 9, 2014. While testifying in front of the jury, police officer Darren Wilson revealed what prompted him to shoot the 18-year-old boy. The Washington Post reported that Wilson stopped Brown and his friend while they walked in the middle of the street. Per Wilson, he told both of them to walk on the sidewalk and that’s when the arguments began. Wilson recalled that Brown turned to him and said, “f*** what you have to say.”
The Washington Post also mentioned that police officer Darren Wilson took Michael Brown and his friend as robbery suspects. However, when Wilson tried coming out of the vehicle, Brown slammed the door shut. Moreover, Wilson alleged that Brown hit him in the side of his face. His testimony also revealed that he decided to get out of the car and draw his gun out.
According to the officer, the men struggled for the gun, and he pulled the trigger. Subsequently, he pulled the trigger once again when Brown allegedly hit him again. After the second shot, Brown started running and stopped after a while. Per The Washington Post, Wilson opened fire when he saw Brown coming towards him. One of the bullets went through Brown’s skull, killing him immediately.
However, Michael Brown’s friend told the investigators that his friend never hit police officer Darren Wilson. According to the transcript of the interrogation obtained by The New York Times, Brown’s friend told the authorities that Wilson opened the car door that hit him and Brown. Wilson then grabbed Brown by his neck, after which the duo started arguing. Moreover, he said that he heard Wilson saying, “I’ll shoot you,” and shot Brown. After the first shot, they started running away, but Wilson shot Brown again. Per the transcript, Brown stopped running after the second shot and put his hands in the air to surrender after turning around.
Although Michael Brown told Darren Wilson that he was unarmed, the police officer shot him multiple times. Authorities investigated the murder for almost a month and didn’t charge Wilson in the case, People Magazine reported.
