This article is about the aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown. For coverage of events immediately surrounding the shooting, see Shooting of Michael Brown.
| Ferguson unrest | |
|---|---|
Police officers using tear gas during the first wave of the Ferguson unrest
| |
| Date | First wave: August 9, 2014 – August 25, 2014[1] (2 weeks and 2 days) Second wave: November 24, 2014[2] – December 2, 2014[3] (1 week and 1 day) |
| Location | Ferguson, Missouri, U.S. |
| Causes | First wave: Shooting of Michael Brown Second wave: Darren Wilson not indicted |
| Methods | Peaceful protests, vandalism, looting, rioting, arson, and gunshots fired |
| Arrests and injuries | |
| Injuries | 10 members of the public injured[4][5] 6 police officers injured[6] |
| Arrested | 211 members of the public[5][7][8] |
An ongoing series of protests and civil disorder began the day after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri. The unrest sparked a vigorous debate in the United States about the relationship between law enforcement officers and African Americans, the militarization of the police, and the use of force doctrine in Missouri and nationwide.
As the details of the original shooting event emerged from investigators, police established curfews and deployed riot squads to maintain order. Along with peaceful protests, there was looting and violent unrest in the vicinity of the original shooting. According to media reports, there was police militarization when dealing with protests in Ferguson.[9][10] The unrest continued on November 24, 2014, after a grand jury decided not to indict the police officer who shot Michael Brown.[11]
In response to the shooting and subsequent unrest, the U.S. Department of Justice conducted an investigation into the policing practices of the Ferguson Police Department (FPD).[12][13] In March 2015, the U.S. Justice Department announced that they had determined that the FPD had engaged in misconduct against the citizenry of Ferguson, by discriminating against African-Americans and applying racial stereotypes, in a "pattern or practice of unlawful conduct".[14][15]
Contents
[hide]Background[edit]
Main article: Shooting of Michael Brown
Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American male, was shot to death after an altercation with Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white male Ferguson police officer.[16][17][18] Brown was a suspect in a robbery committed minutes before the shooting.[19][20][21][22] After several months of deliberation, a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Wilson for any criminal charges in relation to the incident.[23]
The police response to the shooting was heavily criticized, as was the slow rate of information making its way out to the public. Many of the documents from the grand jury were released when the grand jury declined to indict Officer Wilson.[23]
Events[edit]
August 2014[edit]
On August 9, the evening of the shooting, residents had created a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles in the spot where Brown died. An unidentified policeman reportedly allowed a dog under his control to urinate on the memorial. Police vehicles later crushed the memorial. These incidents inflamed tensions among bystanders, according to Missourian state representative Sharon Pace, who told Mother Jones, "That made people in the crowd mad and it made me mad."[24] On August 10, a day of memorials began peacefully, but some crowd members became unruly after an evening candlelight vigil.[25] Local police stations assembled approximately 150 officers in riot gear.[26] Some people began looting businesses, vandalizing vehicles, and confronting police officers who sought to block off access to several areas of the city.[25] At least 12 businesses were looted or vandalized and aQuikTrip convenience store and gas station was set on fire, leading to over 30 arrests. Many windows were broken and several nearby businesses closed on Monday.[27] The people arrested face charges of assault, burglary, and theft. Police used a variety of equipment, including riot gear and helicopters, to disperse the crowd by 2:00 a.m.[28] Two police officers suffered minor injuries during the events.[29]
On August 11, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd at the burnt shell of the QuikTrip[28] convenience store, set on fire by looters the night before. According to reports, gunshots were fired in Ferguson and five people were arrested.[30][31] Some protesters threw rocks at police officers. The police responded by firing tear gas and bean bag rounds upon those protesting, which included state Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal.[32]
On August 12, several hundred protesters gathered in Clayton, the county seat, seeking criminal prosecution of the officer involved in the shooting.[33] Protesters in Ferguson carried signs and many held their hands in the air while shouting "don't shoot!" According to police, some protesters threw bottles at the officers, prompting the use of tear gas to disperse the crowd.[34] The following day, aSWAT team of around 70 officers arrived at a protest demanding that protesters disperse.[35] That night, police used smoke bombs, flash grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Video footage of the events recorded by KARG Argus Radio shows Ferguson Police firing tear gas into a residential neighborhood and ordering the journalist to cease recording.[36][37][38]
Between August 12 and 13, police officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at lines of protesters and reporters. At least seven protesters were arrested on the evening of August 12 and 13, after police told protesters to "'go home' or face arrest."[39] CNNcameras filmed an officer addressing a group of protesters by saying "Bring it, you fucking animals, bring it."[40] On the night of August 12, a peaceful protester was shot in the head non-fatally by an unknown party. The gunshot survivor, Mya Aaten-White, has criticized the police for not investigating her case in a timely manner.[41]
As night fell on August 13, protesters threw projectiles, including Molotov cocktails, and police launched tear gas and smoke bombs.[42] While police were clearing a McDonald's restaurant, The Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery and The Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilley were arrested.[43] Officers reportedly asked them to leave first, gave them a 45-second countdown when they were not moving fast enough, and ultimately resorted to more forceful measures to remove people from the McDonald's.[43] "Officers slammed me into a fountain soda machine because I was confused about which door they were asking me to walk out of," Lowery said.[44][45] Martin Baron, executive editor of The Washington Post, issued a statement, saying "there was absolutely no justification for Wesley Lowery's arrest," and that the police behavior "was wholly unwarranted and an assault on the freedom of the press to cover the news".[46]
Al Jazeera America journalists including correspondent Ash-har Quraishi covering the protests in Ferguson on Wednesday night were also tear-gassed and shot at with rubber bullets by a police SWAT team. An officer was captured on video turning the reporters' video camera toward the ground and dismantling their equipment.[47][48][49][50] Al Jazeera America issued a statement, calling the incident an "egregious assault on the freedom of the press that was clearly intended to have a chilling effect on our ability to cover this important story".[51] On Thursday, August 14, the St. Charles County Regional SWAT Team put out a press release stating that "... the SWAT Team has not been any part of attempting to prevent media coverage" and that the SWAT team had helped journalists move their equipment at their request.[48] A raw video captured a vehicle marked clearly as "St. Charles County SWAT" rolling up to the Al Jazeera lights and camera and taking them down.[52]
Tom Jackson, the Ferguson police chief denied any suppression of the media. U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the First Amendment violations, saying, "There's also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests, or to throw protesters in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights. And here, in the United States of America, police should not be bullying or arresting journalists who are just trying to do their jobs and report to the American people on what they see on the ground."[53]
St. Louis alderman Antonio French, who was documenting the protests for social media, was also arrested by police in Ferguson on Wednesday night.[54] French said that he went into his car to escape tear gas and smoke bombs being thrown by police. While he was in his car, police approached him, dragging him out of the car. French was arrested for unlawful assembly.[55] Speaking to reporters after his release from jail on Thursday, French described the dozen or so other people arrested as "peacekeepers". "Inside that jail is nothing but peacekeepers," he said. "They rounded up the wrong people ... reverends, young people organizing the peace effort."[56][57][58]
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), a large coalition of media and press freedom groups, wrote to police forces in Ferguson, Missouri to protest the harassment of journalists covering the protests.[59][60]
On August 14, United States Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) stated that "militarization of the police escalated the protesters' response".[61] St. Louis Chief of Police Sam Dotson stated he would not have employed military-style policing such as that which transpired. According to Chief Dotson, "My gut told me what I was seeing were not tactics that I would use in the city and I would never put officers in situations that I would not do myself." Another reason Dotson did not want the city and county police to collaborate was because of the history of racial profiling by county police. In an email to a St. Louis alderman who brought up concerns of racial profiling, he wrote: "I agree and removed our tactical assistance. We did not send tactical resources to Ferguson on Tuesday or Wednesday. Our only assistance was that of four traffic officers to help divert traffic and keep both pedestrians and motorists safe. On Thursday we will have no officers assisting Ferguson."[62]
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said at a press conference that the Missouri State Highway Patrolwould take over policing Ferguson from the St. Louis County police, whose tactics were widely criticized, referring to the change as "an operational shift", and that police will use force "only when necessary", and will generally "step back a little bit".[54] Nixon said that Ferguson security will be overseen by Captain Ron Johnson of the Highway Patrol. Johnson, an African-American, said he grew up in the community and "it means a lot to me personally that we break this cycle of violence."[63] Nixon said, "The people of Ferguson want their streets to be free of intimidation and fear" he said, but during the past few days, "it looked a little bit more like a war zone and that's not acceptable."[54] St. Louis county prosecutor Robert P. McCullochcriticized the governor's decision, saying "It's shameful what he did today; he had no legal authority to do that. To denigrate the men and women of the county police department is shameful."[64]
In the evening hours of August 14, Captain Johnson walked with and led a large, peaceful march in Ferguson.[65]
Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson announced the name of the officer involved in the shooting in a news conference the morning of Friday, August 15, nearly a week after the officer shot Brown on Saturday afternoon. Jackson prefaced the name announcement by describing a "strong-arm" robbery that had occurred a few minutes before the shooting at a nearby convenience store called Ferguson Market & Liquor. A police report released to members of the media at the news conference described Brown as the suspect involved in the robbery.[66] Hours later, Jackson held another news conference in which he said Wilson wasn't aware of the robbery when he stopped Brown.[67]
On Friday night, protests continued in "an almost celebratory manner" near the QuikTrip[68][69] until police arrived at around 11:00 p.m.[70][71] At around 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, rioters broke into and looted the Ferguson Market & Liquor store that Brown allegedly robbed prior to his shooting, as well as other nearby businesses; after the initial break-in, a group of protesters and observers gathered near the storefronts of the looted businesses in an attempt to prevent further looting.[72]
As a result of looting and disruption the night before, on August 16, Nixon declared in a press conference a state of emergency and implemented nightly curfews in Ferguson from midnight to 5:00 a.m. Some residents at the press conference said that law enforcement officers had instigated the violence with their military-like tactics.[73] Johnson said that police would not enforce the curfew with armored trucks and tear gas, and that police will communicate with protesters and give them time and opportunity to leave before curfew.[74]
In the early hours of August 17, tear gas and tactical units were used, despite prior assurances. One of the protesters was shot and critically wounded; police have claimed that they did not fire any shots.[75] Seven other individuals were arrested.[76][77] Later that morning, a Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman announced that the curfew would be extended for a second day.[78]
On August 18, after violent clashes during the imposed curfew, Nixon issued an executive order calling in the National Guard to "help restore peace and order and to protect the citizens of Ferguson."[79] Nixon also announced that there would be no curfew on the night of August 18.[80] Amnesty International sent a 13-person contingent of human rights activists to seek meetings with officials as well as to train local activists in non-violent protest methods.[81] Police were recorded threatening the media with mace.[82][83] A photojournalist, Scott Olson, was also arrested by officers.[84] After being briefed by Attorney General Eric Holder on the events, President Obama dispatched Holder to Ferguson to monitor the unrest there.[85]
On the night of August 18, after several hundred protesters, some of whom were seen throwing bottles, charged toward a wall of police 60 wide and five deep, members of the crowd pushed them back including clergymen and community leaders locking arms, averting a more serious confrontation.[86] 78 individuals were arrested, including The Intercept's Ryan Devereaux.[87] Germanjournalists Ansgar Graw and Frank Hermann reported being placed under arrest by an unidentified officer who would only identify himself as "Donald Duck".[88]
On August 20, Attorney General Eric Holder traveled to Ferguson, where he met with residents as well as Brown's family.[89] Only six individuals were arrested, compared to 47 arrests the prior night.[90] Nixon then withdrew the National Guard from Ferguson on August 21 after witnessing improvements among the social unrest.[91] On August 23, protests continued to be peaceful, although three more arrests were made.[92] During the same day, a rally of 50 to 70 people was held in Ferguson in support of Wilson under the banner "I am Darren Wilson",[93] and as of August 25, nearly US$400,000 were raised by supporters in an online crowdfundingcampaign. The online campaign drew a number of racist comments, which forced the website to shut down the comment section.[94][95]
Brown's family asked that supporters suspend their protests for one day out of respect for the funeral proceedings, planned for August 25. "All I want tomorrow is peace while we lay our son to rest. Please, that's all I ask," Brown's father said.[96] The service was attended by thousands of people, including 2,500 filling the sanctuary, and others in an overflow auditorium which was also full. An estimated 2,000 additional people were on church property for the funeral. Eric Davis, one of Brown's cousins, said at the funeral, "[s]how up at the voting booths. Let your voices be heard, and let everyone know that we have had enough of all of this."[97]
September 2014[edit]
Early on September 23, a memorial to Michael Brown on Canfield Drive burned to the ground. Protesters gathered at the site.[98] Later on the same day, Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson released a video apology to the Brown family.[why?][99] The burned memorial was set up again.[100]
That evening, several hundreds of protesters gathered, asking for Jackson's resignation, in front of the police headquarters, protected by 50 police officers[99] Jackson joined the protest and started to explain that changes were underway after Brown's killing, creating some agitation in the crowd. Within minutes, police officers intervened to protect their chief.[99] Several protesters were arrested and later the protest was declared unlawful.[99]
On September 26, the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division asked Jackson to prohibit police officers from wearing "I am Darren Wilson" bracelets when on duty. In a previous letter earlier that week, it had asked that police officers wear nametags.[101]
On the evening of September 28, a large crowd protested. Bottles and rocks were thrown at officers. Support from other police forces was requested. Eight protesters were arrested on failure to disperse and resisting arrest charges. As most are first-time offenders, they will be released without bond.[102]
On September 29, protesters gathered in front of the police building, including a dozen clergy members who prayed in the police parking. They were told that they would be arrested if they did not clear the street. A clergyman was then arrested. Protesters were also told that they would be arrested if the chants went on after 11:00 p.m. About that time, police moved slowly forward, but protesters refused to move backwards. As they were almost in contact, gunshots were heard, and both sides backed up. Later, Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol told the crowd that the "five-second rule" would not be implemented and there would be no arrest as long as the protest remained peaceful.[103]
October 2014[edit]
On October 2, St. Louis County Police and Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested more than a dozen people,[104] including Mary Moore, a freelance journalist who has worked for CNN.[105] Protesters were charged with offenses that included failure to comply with police, noise ordinance violations and resisting arrest. They had to wear orange jumpsuits. Bonds were highest at $2,700, then reduced to $1,000.[104] Police dismantled an encampment that lasted a few weeks on West Florissant. Police and protesters are adapting constantly to the other side's moves ("It’s a legal clinic on these streets."). The city has recently raised bonds from $100 to $1,000.[100]
On October 3, Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson ceded responsibility for managing protests in the city to the St. Louis County police department. The limited resources of Ferguson police made it difficult to handle daily protests after their resumption the previous week.[106]
On October 4, about 50 protesters briefly delayed a concert of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Just before the performance resumed after intermission, they started singing an old civil rights tune, unfurled three hand-painted banners and scattered paper hearts that read: "Requiem for Mike Brown". After that, they left the building peacefully.[107]
On Monday evening, October 6, after a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball supporters and protesters had a chanting battle outside the stadium.[108]
A website, Ferguson October, as well as other organizations, planned a massive week of resistance throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. The event, Ferguson October, began on Friday afternoon when protesters peacefully marched to County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch's office in Clayton, Missouri.[109] Later until around 2:30 a.m., mostly peaceful protests took place in Ferguson and the Shaw neighborhood. As many as 400 people took to the streets on Friday night. On October 9, 2014, Ferguson October sparked the activation of the St. Louis County Emergency Center in anticipation.[110] Police are also working longer shifts and the Missouri National Guard can be activated if needed.[109]
On October 12, a Ferguson October rally and service was held at Chaifetz Arena. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim clergy addressed the crowd. Younger activists criticized older activists for not being radical enough. When the keynote speaker, Cornel West, took the stage, he said, "I didn't come here to give a speech. I came here to go to jail!"[111]
On October 13, protesters attempted to cross police lines to meet with officers at the Ferguson Police Department. Dozens of protesters, estimated to be over 50, were arrested, during a staged and peaceful act of disobedience, including clergy and Cornel West.[112]
On October 20, Missouri Senator Jamilah Nasheed was arrested in front of the Ferguson Police Department building for blocking traffic in the street and not respecting police orders. She was taken into custody, along with a man who was accompanying her, and refused bond.[113][114][115]
November 2014[edit]
On November 17, the governor of Missouri declared a state of emergency in anticipation of protests in Ferguson following the announcement of the results of the grand jury.[116]
On November 21, two alleged members of the New Black Panther Party were arrested for buying explosives they planned to detonate during protests. The same pair is also indicted for purchasing two pistols under false pretenses.[117]
On November 24, the grand jury decided not to indict Wilson in the shooting death of Brown.[118] Following the announcement of the grand jury's decision, Michael Brown's stepfather Louis Head yelled to the crowd of protesters in front of the police department: "Burn this bitch down!"[119] There were peaceful protests as well as rioting. A dozen buildings were burned down; there was gunfire, looting, vandalism, and destruction of two St. Louis County Police patrol cars, as well as burning of various non-police cars.[120][121][122] Police in Ferguson deployed tear gas and ordered protesters in the street to disperse. There were 61 people arrested in Ferguson on charges including burglary and trespassing. In one case, firefighters evacuated the scene of a fire due to gunshots being heard, and for the same reason could not respond to other fires.[123][124]
On November 25, the body of 20-year-old DeAndre Joshua was found inside a parked car within a few blocks of where Brown was killed. Police initially classified the death as suspicious, later ruling it a homicide.[125] The man had been shot in the head and burned.[126] That same day, CNN reported that thousands of people rallied to protest the grand jury's decision in more than 170 U.S. cities from Boston to Los Angeles, and that National Guard forces were reinforced at Ferguson to prevent the situation from escalating.[127]At least 90 people were arrested for arson, looting, and vandalism in Oakland, California.[128] Protests also took place internationally, with demonstrations held in several major cities in Canada[129] and in London, United Kingdom.[130] Calls by protesters to boycott the Black Friday shopping day, which took place the Friday after the grand jury decision, were heeded in the St. Louis region, with hundreds of demonstrators disrupting shopping activity at the Saint Louis Galleria and other area shopping centers.[131]
On November 27, Governor Nixon reportedly rejected calls for a new grand jury to decide whether to charge Wilson over Brown's killing.[132]
December 2014[edit]
On December 2, volunteer security guards associated with the Oath Keepers kept their watch on Ferguson roofs, even after the police told them to stop doing so.[133]
March 2015[edit]
On the night of March 11, 2015, around 12:00 a.m. CST, protests ensued throughout the city of Ferguson following the announcement of the chief of police's resignation. Under a mutual separation agreement, police chief Thomas Jackson would be paid one year of annual salary (nearly $96,000) with health benefits, with his resignation effective March 19. Lieutenant Colonel Al Eickhoff was declared acting chief pending the hiring of a replacement.[134] According to a report by Susan Weich of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, there were two sets of protesters, one peacefully chanting slogans, and the other, "volatile, angry, hurling profanities at the police, media and other protesters".[135]
In the early morning hours of March 12, two police officers were shot outside the Ferguson police station. Though approximately 100 protesters remained on the other side of South Florissant Road adjacent to the police line, witnesses believed the shooter was on the top of a hill approximately 220 yards from the police station.[136] A 41-year-old officer from the St. Louis County Police Department was hit in the shoulder, and a 32-year-old officer from the Webster Groves Police Department was hit in the cheek.[137] The St. Louis County police chief said that at least three shots were fired parallel to the ground rather than up into the air (not "skip shots") and therefore assumed his officers were the target.[138][139] An "intense manhunt" was launched for the person or persons responsible for the shooting.[140]
On March 14, Jeffrey L. Williams, age 20,[141] was arrested in connection with the shooting of the police officers. Williams, who is black and was on probation for possession of stolen property,[141] had admitted to firing the shots but said that he was not aiming at police. According to Williams' attorney, he was intending on retaliating against a person who robbed him earlier on the day of the shooting.[142] Police recovered a .40-caliber handgun that matched the spent cartridges found at the crime scene.[137] On April 1, theAssociated Press reported that during phone conversations, Williams confessed to firing back at an unidentified person who was shooting at him during the March 12 protest. His attorney had previously claimed Williams never discharged a firearm during the shooting.[143]
April 2015[edit]
On April 29, looting resumed in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland. Two people were shot in the neck and a third was shot in the leg, with all three victims being in stable condition. Six people were arrested, one for shooting one of the victims and five for looting a Mobil gas station. Four police cars were damaged after rocks were thrown at them. Several items were also set on fire.[5]
Related incidents[edit]
Ray Albers[edit]
Ray Albers of the St. Ann Police Department was suspended indefinitely from his duties after an incident at a protest in Ferguson that was captured on video. According to St. Louis County police, he pointed a semi-automatic service rifle at peaceful protesters while using profanity and threatening to kill them.[145][146][147][148]
Albers was recorded on video saying, "I will f---ing [sic] kill you."[149][150] When asked to identify himself, Albers replied, "Go f--- [sic] yourself."[149] This led the ACLU to write to law enforcement demanding action.[149][150] A repercussion of his actions was that while his identification was pending, Albers was widely referred to on social media as Officer Go Fuck Yourself.[149][151][152]
Dan Page[edit]
On August 22, St. Louis County Police officer Dan Page, who was filmed pushing CNN's Don Lemon, was relieved of duty after a video emerged of an inflammatory speech Page had given to the St. Louis and St. Charles chapter of the Oath Keepers.[156] He retired three days later.[155][157]
Matthew Pappert[edit]
Glendale police officer Matthew Pappert, who had patrolled in Ferguson during the protests, was suspended for controversial postings to Facebook, such as "[t]hese protesters should have been put down like a rabid dog the first night" and "[w]here is a Muslim with a backpack when you need him?" (referring to the Boston Marathon bombings).[158][159][160] Journalists in Ferguson claimed Pappert had threatened them.[159] Pappert was ultimately fired from the department after the conclusion of an internal investigation.[153][155]
Kajieme Powell[edit]
On August 19, Kajieme Powell, a 25-year-old African American man, was shot and killed by two St. Louis police officers several miles from Ferguson, in what police officials said a witness described as "suicide by cop".[161] The police initially issued a statement, based on witness reports, saying that Powell came within three or four feet of the officers, holding a knife in an overhand grip. Subsequently, the police released a cell phone video filmed by bystanders showing that Powell was not as close to the officers as first reported and he had his hands at his sides. Powell was advancing toward the officers with the knife, shouting "Shoot me, shoot me now" when he was shot multiple times, as documented in the video.[162]
Lawsuit against police and local governments[edit]
A $40 million federal lawsuit was filed on August 28 by five protesters who were arrested between August 11–13. It alleges that police officers used unnecessary force and made unjustified arrests.[163] Four more protesters were added as plaintiffs in October.[164] The lawsuit lists various police officials, officers, the Ferguson city government and the St. Louis county government as defendants.[163]
Vonderrit Myers Jr.[edit]
On October 8, 2014, Vonderrit Myers Jr. was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in St. Louis. Police said he had a gun and shot at them. A family member of Myers, who did not witness the incident, claimed that Meyers was only holding a sandwich.[165] Following the shooting, there were multiple nights of protests.[166][167] Forensic evidence later confirmed that Myers had gunshot residue on his right hand, shirt, and pants, indicating that he had fired a gun. Three bullets fired at police matched Myers's gun.[168][169][170]The family's attorney noticed that police versions differ about the weapon Myers allegedly used: first, police mentioned a 9mm Ruger, and later a 9mm Smith & Wesson. Although later determined that Myers did have a gun and it matched the same gun he was seen in various photos posted to social media.[171] An independent autopsy by Dr. Cyril H. Wecht found that six of the eight wounds were at the back of the body.[172] Police investigators served Wecht with a subpoena for his results. The funeral was held on October 26.[173]
On May 19, 2015, it was announced that no charges would be filed against the off-duty police officer. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce's report says the officer shot and killed Myers in self-defense after Myers fired a gun at him, and thus a criminal violation could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in the resulting death.[174]
Antonio Martin[edit]
Main article: Shooting of Antonio Martin
On December 24, 2014, 18-year-old Antonio Martin was shot and killed by a St. Louis County police officer in Berkeley, Missouri. Police said Martin had a gun at the time he was killed. The incident provoked additional violent protests in the area.[175]
Related developments[edit]
Town hall meetings[edit]
In order to develop dialogue between authorities and residents, a series of five town meetings in October and November have been set up by City leaders. The DOJ's Community Relations Service is involved and the meetings will be closed to the media and non-residents.[176]
Voter registration[edit]
It was (incorrectly) reported that 3,200 inhabitants (out of 21,000) had registered to vote in Ferguson since Michael Brown's death.[177] Later, the election board stated that the released numbers were inaccurate and only 128 new voter registrations occurred. The larger number was the total number of interactions with Ferguson voters, including address changes or other alterations.[178][179]
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