The Black Justice League was a student organization at Princeton University .
128-589: The Black Justice League (BJL) was a student organization founded by 15 students in September 2014 initially to protest the killing of Michael Brown , and later to bring elements of the Black Lives Matter movement to Princeton University . Beginning in September 2015, the BJL began to focus on the legacy of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson , traditionally a much-loved figure at Princeton, according to
256-428: A Chevrolet Tahoe . Wilson was armed with a SIG Sauer P229 pistol, which was fired twice during the struggle from inside the vehicle, with one bullet hitting Brown's right hand. Brown and Johnson fled and Johnson hid behind a car. Wilson got out of the vehicle and pursued Brown. At some point, Wilson fired his pistol again, while facing Brown, and hit him with at least six shots, all in the front of his body. Brown
384-539: A St. Louis University laboratory revealed the presence of THC , the active ingredient in marijuana , in Brown's blood and urine. This indicated he used marijuana within a few hours of his death, but not whether he was impaired when he died. At the request of Brown's family, on August 17 a preliminary autopsy was conducted by Michael Baden , a former chief medical examiner for the City of New York (1978–1979). This autopsy
512-484: A "depoliticization". Canadian legal expert Michael Spratt wrote, "... there's no question that Canadian police sometimes look more like post-apocalyptic military mercenaries than protectors of the peace. Our police services have been acquiring more and more military toys—a dangerous trend that's gotten little in the way of critical analysis in the mainstream media." Growing numbers of Canadian police agencies have acquired armored vehicles in recent years. In 2010
640-474: A 2018 suspension for engaging in a consensual sexual relationship with a student. The reopening of the investigation was criticized by conservatives and some free speech advocates as punishing Katz for his views about the BJL and other political matters. Killing of Michael Brown On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri ,
768-450: A black suspect and other members of his family served with the St. Louis Police Department. A petition calling for McCulloch to recuse himself gained 70,000 signatures. Governor Jay Nixon declined to remove McCulloch and said doing so would potentially jeopardize the prosecution. McCulloch dismissed the claims of bias, and later said he regretted not speaking publicly about his background at
896-519: A business or residence and entering without judicial oversight. Critics such as the ACLU strongly criticized the law for violating the Fourth Amendment. On May 18, 2015, President Barack Obama announced limits on the types of military equipment which can be transferred to police departments through the 1033 program and limits on the implementation of military training programs. Afterward,
1024-470: A case. Three autopsies were performed on Brown's body, with all three noting Brown had been shot at least six times, including twice in the head. He received no shots in his back. The county autopsy report described gunshot entry and exit wounds to Brown's right arm coming from both the front ( ventral , palms facing forward ) and the back (dorsal, palms facing backward). The local medical examiner autopsy report released to state prosecutors said Brown
1152-490: A commendation from the Ferguson Police Department after he apprehended a suspect who was later charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and resisting arrest. Surveillance video which was publicly released in the 2017 documentary film Stranger Fruit shows Michael Brown walking into Ferguson Market and Liquor at 1:13 a.m., ten-and-a-half hours before he entered the store for
1280-420: A company specializing in gunfire locator technology. That analysis found the sound of ten gunshots and seven gunshot echoes within seven seconds, with a three-second pause after the sixth shot. The company's analysis also said all ten rounds were fired from within a radius of 3 feet (0.91 m), indicating the shooter was not moving. The Washington Post said there were unorthodox forensic practices shown in
1408-482: A court of law, or otherwise qualified magistrate , to lawfully search and seize evidence while investigating criminal activity. The requirements changed after the September 11 attacks , with the 2001 Patriot Act which gave law enforcement officers permission to search a home or business without the owner's or the occupant's consent or knowledge, amongst other provisions, if terrorist activities were suspected. The Act
SECTION 10
#17327907888991536-456: A disturbance situation ... Because you don't like the optics (of militarization), you can't send police officers out to be hurt or killed." In July 2016, the Obama administration announced that it would revisit the 2015 ban on some types of military equipment for police forces, and begin a process of case-by-case review. On August 28, 2017, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced
1664-532: A historical separation of police models between small towns and larger cities, which tended to function differently with separate hierarchical systems supporting each. The militarization of both rural and urban law enforcement has been attributed to the United States' involvement in wars during the 20th century, and to increasingly frequent encounters with violent protesters and criminals with automatic weapons, explosives, and body armor, although some attribute
1792-471: A lack of knowledge over how to deal with local protests—concerns startlingly similar to those now coming out of Ferguson, Missouri". French police since the Charlie Hebdo shootings started to issue heavier guns to police instead of the standard SIG Sauer SP 2022 pistol issued per default. Before this heavier guns were only given to elite units but some units are now getting heavier weaponry such as
1920-576: A list of demands, including renaming the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs , mandatory cultural competency training for staff, instituting academic requirements on racial identity, and affinity spaces for black students. About 30 students remained in Eisgruber's office into the night. Eisgruber refused to sign on to the demands. The BJL's protests were part of a string of similar occurrences across college campuses in
2048-499: A local detective at the Fraternal Order of Police building, instead of at Ferguson Police headquarters. An investigator with the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office testified he decided not to take measurements at the crime scene nor did he photograph the scene, instead relying on photographs taken by the St. Louis County Police Department. Multiple witnesses saw part or all of the event and have given interviews to
2176-565: A military ideology, and practices that frequently resemble occupying forces conquering enemy territories". The units that responded to the protests were Shock Police, units specialized in riot control . The Military Police is an ancillary and reserve force of the Army, under the General Inspectorate of Military Police, being that a part of Land Operations Command. But, in time of peace, the state governor act as commander-in-chief of
2304-466: A police dispatcher reported "stealing in progress" at the Ferguson Market and described the suspect as a black male wearing a white T-shirt running toward QuikTrip . The suspect was reported as having stolen a box of Swisher cigars. Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, left the market at about 11:54 a.m. At 11:57, the dispatch described the suspect as wearing a red St. Louis Cardinals hat,
2432-631: A raid in Varginha in October 2021. The second one, a joint incursion with BOPE in the Vila Cruzeiro favela of Rio de Janeiro , left 23 dead, including a civilian bystander. Minister of Justice Flávio Dino of the Lula administration that followed sought to restructure the organization, mentioning the 2022 election controversy and claiming that it had "deviated" from its main role, requiring
2560-520: A result, "... calls for de-militarization of the police—from social movements, non-governmental organizations, and even segments of the police itself—became widespread and remain one of the legacies of the World Cup". The Brazilian "... Military Police today, while not officially a wing of the Armed Forces, remains an institution with a strict military hierarchy, training that retains
2688-518: A short pursuit. Johnson contradicted this account, stating that Brown turned around with his hands raised after Wilson shot at his back. According to Johnson, Wilson then shot Brown multiple times until Brown fell to the ground. In the entire altercation, Wilson fired a total of twelve bullets, including twice during the struggle in the car. Brown was struck six times, all in the front of his body. This event ignited unrest in Ferguson . Witnesses to
SECTION 20
#17327907888992816-740: A sound cannon, or Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)—a weapon that was developed for use in conflicts in the Middle East, as well as barricades, pre-emptive arrests and riot units. According to Kevin Walby, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Winnipeg , "the more interesting aspect of the militarization of the police is actually on the strategy side"; police are "increasingly training with military-style tacticians, especially when it comes to situations like crowd control and, increasingly, surveillance ". On June 3, 2015, it
2944-645: A suburb of St. Louis . Brown was accompanied by his 22-year-old male friend Dorian Johnson. Wilson, a white male Ferguson police officer, said that an altercation ensued when Brown attacked him in his police vehicle for control of Wilson's service pistol. The struggle continued until the pistol fired. Johnson said that Wilson initiated a confrontation by grabbing Brown by the neck through Wilson's patrol car window, threatening him and then shooting at him. At this point, both Wilson and Johnson state that Brown and Johnson fled, with Wilson pursuing Brown shortly thereafter. Wilson stated that Brown stopped and charged him after
3072-433: A third release included the transcripts of witness interviews, including one with Dorian Johnson. A video of the two-hour interview of Johnson by FBI and county police was withheld. Robert P. McCulloch was the main focus of much of the criticism throughout the process and well into its aftermath. Attorney Raul Reyes characterized McCulloch as not being impartial, as his father was a police officer killed in an incident with
3200-413: A video-text message at the time of the incident. Glide , a video messaging service, confirmed the audio had been recorded on their site at 12:02 p.m. on the day of the shooting. The twelve-second recording contains a series of shots, a short pause, and then a second series of shots. Forensic audio expert Paul Ginsberg says he heard six shots, a pause, and then four additional shots. Ginsberg said, "I
3328-432: A white T-shirt, yellow socks, and khaki shorts, and that he was accompanied by another male. Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said that the incident with Brown stealing cigars had "nothing to do" with why Brown was stopped by Wilson prior to the shooting, and that the reason Brown and Johnson were stopped was because "they were walking down the middle of the street, blocking traffic." At 12:00 p.m. , Wilson reported he
3456-825: Is "currently banned by the German constitution". The 250 person BFE+ will be added to the existing GSG-9 unit. Behr states that the BFE+ will be able to "launch large-scale manhunts", using an "end of the policing spectrum" which "borders on war-like or military action". The Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) is an Indonesian militarized police force (Paramilitary) which are often deployed for Riot control, SWAT operations, anti-terror, domestic guerrilla warfare, domestic civil hostage rescue, search and rescue, and armed conflict management especially in areas with domestic conflict, such as in Papua and Poso . It usually conducts joint operations with
3584-557: Is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. France classifies some weapons as "intermediary force weapons" such as its LBD 40 refitted version of the Swiss B&;T GL06 military grenade launcher, which is used in riot police situations or against individual persons in more specific interventions. While not having the full power of military guns, some weapons are heavier than regular police weaponry and are still lethal. These are often referred to with
3712-558: Is a mindset ... a tendency to see the world through the lens of national security, a tendency to exaggerate existing threats". Rohde traces "the origins of modern militarized policing" to the Cold War -era anti-communist paranoia, and the idea that domestic civil rights activists were similar to foreign enemies, as manifested in activities such as the CIA's Operation CHAOS . According to Harvard University professor Elizabeth Hinton,
3840-424: Is also associated with intelligence agency –style information gathering aimed at the public and political activists and with a more aggressive style of law enforcement . Criminal justice professor Peter Kraska has defined militarization of police as "the process whereby civilian police increasingly draw from, and pattern themselves around, the tenets of militarism and the military model". Observers have noted
3968-548: Is not appropriate for local police departments." In response to Obama's announcement, the United States' largest police union, the Fraternal Order of Police , reacted negatively, pledging to push back against the new restrictions, and accusing the administration of politicizing officers' safety. The executive director of the FOP, James Pasco, stated that his group "... (would) be at (their) most aggressive in asserting
Black Justice League - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-469: Is not qualified to do so. Mary Case, who performed the initial autopsy, said Parcells' involvement could cause issues with the second autopsy. Parcells said all he did was assist Baden. In 2021, Parcells was convicted of six criminal charges relating to autopsies he illegally performed. Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a third autopsy of Brown's body. Its findings matched the other two autopsies, but its detailed findings were initially withheld from
4224-497: Is permitted. Concerns about the militarization of police have been raised by both ends of the political spectrum in the United States, with both the libertarian Cato Institute and the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) voicing criticisms of the practice. The Fraternal Order of Police has spoken out in favor of equipping law enforcement officers with military equipment, claiming that it increases
4352-505: The New York Times . BJL distributed posters around campus highlighting Wilson's views on race and called on the school to distance itself from Wilson. In November 2015, the group staged a walkout of approximately 200 students toward Nassau Hall and held a 32-hour sit-in in the office of Princeton University president Christopher Eisgruber in protest over what they saw as racial injustice and university inaction. The BJL presented
4480-501: The 1992 Los Angeles riots led law enforcement to reconsider their standard side arms . Law enforcement agencies encountered groups such as Earth Liberation Front (ELF), and incidents such as the 1984 San Ysidro McDonald's massacre , the 1986 FBI Miami shootout between eight FBI agents and two serial bank robbers (in which the agents were out-gunned by the robbers), and the 1997 North Hollywood shootout . Researchers David N. Falcone, Edward L. Wells, and Ralph A. Weisheit describe
4608-617: The 9x19mm Heckler & Koch MP5 , began supplementing them with AR-15 type rifles and carbines. Seven months after the incident, the Department of Defense gave 600 surplus M16s to the LAPD, which were issued to each patrol sergeant; LAPD patrol vehicles now carry AR-15s as standard issue, with bullet-resistant Kevlar plating in their doors as well. As a result of this incident, the LAPD authorized its officers to carry .45 ACP caliber semiautomatic pistols as duty sidearms, specifically
4736-555: The Bolsonaro administration, during a process that was seen by some as a politically-charged militarization of the force. During this period, PRF tactical teams gained notoriety after taking part in two high-profile operations. The first one, which sought to apprehend criminals responsible for planning a series of high-profile bank robberies across the country known as the Novo Cangaço (New Cangaço ), left 26 suspects dead after
4864-612: The Geneva convention , which is signed by France too, no restriction applies to civilian use. In 2021, basing himself on the model of the Gendarmerie France's Interior's Minister Gérald Darmanin said he wished to extend the police reserve of 30 000 reservists (against the 5000 men reserve) to "recreate links" with police forces. This comes during the protests against the Loi Sécurité Globale . In 2016,
4992-741: The Metropolitan Police Service established a new firearms officer role. This role was known as the Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officer (CTSFO). Prior to this establishment the highest Authorised Firearms Officer standard was the Specialist Firearms Officer . This new CTSFO role gained new equipment such as night vision goggles , armoured Ford Jankel Guardians, BMW F800GS motorcycles and brand new SIG MCX rifles. They also received training which
5120-748: The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in Northern Ireland , which remained part of the UK. It remained a militarized police force due to the threat of IRA attacks. During the Northern Ireland conflict (1960s–1990s), the RUC routinely carried submachine guns and assault rifles, traveled in armored Land Rovers, were based in heavily fortified police stations and worked alongside the British Army, sometimes mounting joint patrols and sharing
5248-605: The Smith & Wesson Models 4506 and 4566 . Prior to 1997, only LAPD SWAT officers were authorized to carry .45 ACP caliber pistols, specifically the Model 1911A1 .45 ACP semiautomatic pistol. The militarization of police escalated with the 1033 program , initiated by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, ostensibly to address organized drug trafficking. The 1033 Program was documented in action through published and televised images of excessive force and armoured vehicles broadcast during
Black Justice League - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-454: The St. Louis County police were notified and county officers began arriving on scene at around 12:15 p.m. The St. Louis County detectives were notified at 12:43 p.m. and arrived about 1:30 p.m. , with the forensic investigator arriving at about 2:30 p.m. Police dispatched 12 units to the scene by 1:00 p.m. with another 12, including two canine units, by 2:00 p.m. Gunshots were recorded in Ferguson police logs at 2:11 p.m. , and by
5504-753: The TNI . Italy has a well-established tradition of police forces framed in military structures. Even today, at least two of the national police forces , the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza , are an integral part of the Italian Armed Forces . The Corpo delle Capitanerie di porto is a branch of the Marina Militare , and the Corpo forestale dello Stato , after its dissolution (2016),
5632-590: The United States Department of Defense to them. Data from 2006 to 2014 shows that local and state police departments obtained aircraft, helicopters, bayonets , knives, night-vision sniper scopes, tactical armored vehicles or MRAP's, rifles and weapons including grenade launchers, watercraft , and camouflage gear, among other military equipment. Under the Fourth Amendment , law enforcement officers must receive written permission from
5760-447: The racial makeup of St. Louis County, which is about 30% black, and 70% white. On August 20 , 2014, the grand jury started hearing evidence in the case State of Missouri v. Darren Wilson , in order to decide whether a crime was committed and if there was probable cause to believe Wilson committed it. There was intense interest focused on the grand jury. Robert P. McCulloch , the elected prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County,
5888-620: The "... more powerful Colt C8 [which is] popular with police tactical teams and Canadian and other NATO alliance troops". White argues that the C8 carbines would give officers a much longer shooting range than the short-barreled MP5 submachine guns . "The RCMP is issuing more than 2,200 C8 carbines to its officers [,]" but the RCMP has not indicated whether the C8s will be issued to Parliament Hill officers. The use of surplus armored vehicles for use by
6016-758: The "limited lethality" appellation. In 2013 "... Brazil saw countrywide demonstrations protesting a lack of basic services while the country was spending billions on the World Cup and the Olympics . The unprepared and overreacting police forces responded in a way that shocked the largely middle-class protesters. The police, using "non-lethal" weapons like pepper spray and rubber bullets while dressed from head to toe in ninja-like full battle gear, indiscriminately arrested both violent ' black bloc ' demonstrators, known for their confrontational tactics and anarchist views, along with non-violent protestors marching peacefully." As
6144-413: The 1965 Law Enforcement Assistance Act ushered in a new era where the federal government facilitated the militarization of police at the state and local level across the United States. Over the last hundred years, with the rise of acts of terrorism and the availability of high-powered weapons, special weapons and tactics teams have been implemented and are being used across the United States. The 1960s to
6272-712: The 1990s, encounters with the sophisticated weapons of narcotics trafficking groups such as the Medellín Cartel and street gangs such as the Gangster Disciples , with organized, left-wing protesters at such events as the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the 1999 WTO Conference in Seattle , with urban riots such as the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles, the 1967 Detroit riot , and
6400-458: The 2014 protests in Ferguson after Michael Brown was killed by police. The National Defense Authorization Act, as part of the U.S. Government's Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services (DLA) currently coordinates the transfer of excess military equipment to law enforcement agencies. Since 1997, 8,000 local law enforcement agencies have participated in the militarization program that has transferred $ 5.1 billion in military hardware from
6528-911: The American Military Coup of 2012 as having set a precedent that the author, a United States Air Force officer, considered dangerous. The 1997 North Hollywood shootout had a profound effect on law enforcement agencies. Local patrol officers at the time were typically armed with their standard issue 9×19mm pistols or .38 Special revolvers, while some had a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun available in their cars. The North Hollywood bank robbers carried fully automatic AK-47 -style weapons with high capacity drum magazines and ammunition capable of penetrating vehicles and police Kevlar vests. With these weapons, two bank robbers fired approximately 1,100 rounds at officers and civilians before being killed. The robbers wore body armor which successfully protected them from bullets and shotgun pellets fired by
SECTION 50
#17327907888996656-530: The BJL as "a small local terrorist organization that made life miserable for many (including the many black students) who did not agree with its members’ demands". Katz's description of the BJL was criticized by faculty administrators of the Department of Classics, including department chair Michael Flower, and Princeton University president Christopher L. Eisgruber , but the university did not put Katz under investigation for formal action. In 2022, Princeton University reopened an investigation into Katz stemming from
6784-669: The BMW F800GS motorcycles used for deployments in Central London . Professional police departments have changed over time in the United States. The first professionalized police departments in the United States were modelled on the London Metropolitan Police. They were under civilian control and were non-militaristic in the sense that they eschewed military uniforms, weaponry and training. According to Julian Go of Boston University , police departments in
6912-583: The Carabinieri were created. Mexico's new national police force, the Gendarmería, is partially staffed with active duty soldiers, part of a longstanding trend towards militarization of the country's Federal Police . According to a 2020 study, the use of torture by police has persisted in Mexico even though Mexico transitioned to democracy. Torture is still used due to "weak procedural protections and
7040-425: The German police introduced a new special unit, BFE+ , which is designed to "counter terror attacks". Criminologist Rafael Behr says the new BFE+ [ de ] "mainly serves as a psychological reassurance for the public", serving as a "symbolic" effort and a functional effort. The functional aspect is that with the BFE+, the government can use armed forces with military weapons inside Germany, an act that
7168-535: The Ottawa Police Service bought a Lenco G3 BearCat APC for $ 340,000, which has "half-inch-thick military steel armoured bodywork, .50 caliber-rated ballistic glass, blast-resistant floors, custom-designed gun ports and ... a roof turret". The G20 protests in Toronto in 2010 showed that the militarization of protest policing is not only occurring in the United States. Police in Toronto used
7296-469: The Philippines. An influential advocate for these police reforms was August Vollmer , who has been described as the "father of modern policing". Vollmer devised syllabi which were used in police training courses. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as police departments in cities such as Kansas City, Missouri and Kenosha, Wisconsin , began deploying automatic weapons, including
7424-590: The Police and Firefighting Corps, according to the Constitution of Brazil , article 144, 6th paragraph, where it is said that the "Military Police and Firefighter Corps, ancillary and reserve forces of the Army, subordinate themselves, with the Civil Police, to the state and Federal District governors." The Brazilian Federal Highway Police (PRF) was also criticized for the creation of tactical teams during
7552-838: The RCMP and other police forces throughout the country are challenged by lawyers and academics since they can easily send the wrong message to the public. According to Michael Spratt, an Ottawa-based criminal lawyer, the funds used to acquire the vehicles is better used for crime prevention activities. "Since 1999, an eight-billion-dollar programme in Colombia has seen the mass deployment of military troops and militarized police forces to both interdict illegal drugs and counter left-wing guerrilla groups". This assistance "promote[s] militarization to address organized crime". Due to these U.S. policies, "civilian forces ... have increasingly received military training, leading to concerns over human rights violations and excessive use of force, as well as
7680-692: The Thompson submachine gun, and armored cars in the 1920s and 1930s. George Fletcher Chandler , a veteran of the Pancho Villa Expedition and the first Superintendent of the New York State Police , was an early advocate of law enforcement officers wearing their weapons exposed on the outside of their uniforms. Police militarization was escalated in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s as an era in which race riots and anti-war protests were common in many U.S. cities. Some believe
7808-407: The U.S. military to cooperate with domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies. Operations in support of law enforcement include assistance in counter-drug operations, assistance for civil disturbances, special security operations, counter-terrorism , explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and similar activities. Constitutional and statutory restrictions and corresponding directives and regulations limit
SECTION 60
#17327907888997936-486: The United States adopted several military innovations such as centralized chains of command, professionalization (training and discipline), military operations and tactics (in particular, colonial counterinsurgency tactics), "open-order" units, and counterinsurgency information-gathering techniques. Many of these reforms were influenced by practices from the Philippine–American War and subsequent U.S. occupation of
8064-431: The United States became increasingly militarized in the early 20th century as they "borrowed tactics, techniques, and organizational templates from America's imperial-military regime that had been developed to conquer and rule foreign populations". Historian Stuart Schrader has linked the experiences of World War II to later militarization of police in the United States. During the early 20th century, police departments in
8192-747: The United States, including Georgetown University . A new student group called the Princeton Open Campus Coalition formed to opposed the BJL's methods and demands. After the sit-in, Princeton's board of trustees appointed the Wilson Legacy Review Committee to consider how the university should recognize Wilson. In April 2016, Princeton's board of trustees voted to keep Wilson's name of campus buildings and programs. On July 8, 2020, Princeton professor Josh Katz wrote an essay in Quillette criticizing
8320-582: The ambulance dispatch again at 2:14 p.m. , which led to the response of 20 more units from eight different municipal forces in the next 20 minutes. As the situation deteriorated, the police commanders had investigators seek cover and detectives assisted in crowd control. At 2:45 , four canine units arrived on scene, and the SWAT team arrived at 3:20 p.m. The medical examiner began his examination of Brown at approximately 3:30 p.m. and concluded about half an hour later, with Brown's body being cleared to be taken to
8448-460: The anti-criminality brigades which was given H&K G36 assault rifles. 18 of the 19 shootings with this weapon were accidental discharges, the first year when this weapon was issued to anti-criminality policemen. Companies Republicaines de Sécurité which are an anti-riot unit are issued grenades which are classified as war weaponry in France. While gas weapons are forbidden for military use by
8576-410: The body do not always cause stippling. Microscopic examination of tissue taken from Brown's thumb wound detected the presence of a foreign material consistent with the material which is ejected from a gun while firing. The gunshot wound to the top of Brown's head was consistent with Brown either falling forward or being in a lunging position; the shot was instantly fatal. A toxicology test performed by
8704-481: The case and would not indict Wilson. Following his announcement, McCulloch released thousands of pages of grand jury documents, with materials published on the internet for public perusal. The documents include transcripts of the proceedings, expert statements, and the testimony of some witnesses. On December 8 , more witness interviews and more than 50 brief audio recordings between the police dispatchers and responding police officers were released. On December 13 ,
8832-470: The case with an eye to charge Wilson with either manslaughter or murder. In July, Bell announced Wilson would not be charged. Michael Orlandus Darrion Brown (May 20, 1996 – August 9, 2014) graduated from Normandy High School in St. Louis County eight days before his death, completing an alternative education program. At the time of his death, he was 18 years old, 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall, and weighed 292 pounds (132 kilograms). He
8960-620: The case with an eye to charging Wilson with either manslaughter or murder. In July, Bell announced he would not charge Wilson with any crime; Bell said he didn't "have the evidence to ethically bring a charge against Darren Wilson." The grand jury was made up of members who had been impaneled in May 2014 for a regularly scheduled term, to hear all cases put forward by the prosecuting attorney's office. There were three black jury members (one man and two women) and nine white jury members (six men and three women), an ethnic breakdown that roughly reflects
9088-497: The community for providing evidence that corroborated Wilson's account. Police militarization The militarization of police ( paramilitarization of police in some media) is the use of military equipment and tactics by law enforcement officers . This includes the use of armored personnel carriers (APCs), assault rifles , submachine guns , flashbang grenades , sniper rifles , and SWAT (special weapons and tactics) teams. The militarization of law enforcement
9216-555: The conclusion of its own investigation and cleared Wilson of civil rights violations in the shooting. It claimed that Wilson's account was "corroborated by bruising on Wilson's jaw and scratches on his neck, the presence of Brown's DNA on Wilson's collar, shirt and pants, and Wilson's DNA on Brown's palm", and claimed that witnesses who corroborated the officer's account were credible. The U.S. Department of Justice concluded that Wilson shot Brown in self-defense. In 2020, St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell spent five months reviewing
9344-543: The crowd encroaching on the crime scene. An investigator from the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office arrived at 2:30 p.m. Brown's body was removed at 4:00 p.m. Local residents criticized authorities for leaving Brown's body in the street for four hours in an action seen as demeaning and disrespectful. On August 11 , 2014, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened a civil rights investigation into
9472-486: The facts did not support the filing of criminal charges against Wilson. Credible witnesses did not support accounts that Brown had his hands up in surrender. He was not shot in the back. Forensic evidence showed he was moving toward Wilson. Numerous witnesses were found to have given accounts of actions they were unable to see from their vantage points, or to be recounting others' accounts. A new St. Louis County prosecutor, Wesley Bell, spent five months in 2020 reviewing
9600-464: The final time. The footage shows Brown handing a young clerk a brown package, believed by the filmmaker to be marijuana, and then receiving an unpurchased package of cigarillos from the store. After the video was rediscovered and made public in 2017, some, including Brown's family, said they believed Brown had left the package there for safekeeping and later returned to retrieve it. The store owner disputed this through an attorney who dismissed claims that
9728-421: The first bullet wounds, but the bullet that entered the top of his head resulted in a fatal injury. Baden had no access to the clothing of the victim, and had not yet seen the x-rays showing where bullets were in the body. He could not determine if any gunpowder residue was on that clothing. Baden concluded there was too little information to forensically reconstruct the shooting. At least two commentators noted
9856-579: The gun was inches away from Brown's hand when it went off. According to the detective who performed tests on the gun, he had to decide whether to perform a DNA test or dust for fingerprints, because only one test can be performed without affecting the other. He found the gun stored in an unsealed envelope, contrary to the customary evidence-handling protocol. Documents released after the grand jury proceedings show Wilson washed blood from his hands and checked his own gun into an evidence bag, both actions described by media outlets as unorthodox procedures for such
9984-420: The head, torso, and right arm, as well as a single gunshot wound to the inside of his right hand near his thumb and palm; it also noted Brown's body had abrasions to the right side of his face and on the back of his left hand. The autopsy noted the absence of stippling , powder burns around a wound that indicate a shot was fired at a relatively short range. Michael Graham notes gunshot wounds within an inch of
10112-400: The homicide investigation to the St. Louis County Police Department (SLCPD). The arrival of SLCPD detectives took about 70 minutes , as they were occupied with another crime scene 37 minutes away. On arrival at 1:30 p.m., they put up privacy screens around the body. Their investigation was slowed due to safety concerns regarding the sound of gunfire in the area and some hostile members of
10240-609: The incident. A spokeswoman for the FBI's St. Louis field office said the decision to open an investigation was not motivated by the protests and riots which had ensued. Forty FBI agents went door-to-door looking for potential witnesses who may have had information about the shooting. Additionally, attorneys from the Civil Rights Division and from the United States Attorney's Office were participating in
10368-422: The investigation. On March 4 , 2015, the federal investigation cleared Wilson of civil rights violations in the shooting. The investigation concluded there was no evidence upon which prosecutors could rely to disprove Wilson's asserted belief that he feared for his safety, that witnesses who contradicted Wilson were not credible, that forensic evidence and credible witnesses corroborated Wilson's account, and that
10496-426: The left thigh of Officer Wilson's pants and on the inside driver's door handle of Wilson's police SUV, the result of Brown's spilled blood staining Wilson's pants and the door handle. Wilson's DNA was found on Brown's left palm but was not found under Brown's fingernails or on his right hand. Michael Graham, the St. Louis medical examiner, said blood was found on Wilson's gun and inside the car, and tissue from Brown
10624-492: The media, testified to the grand jury, and were interviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The witness accounts were conflicting on various points. David A. Klinger , a criminologist at the University of Missouri– St. Louis , said eyewitness testimony often differs from witness to witness, a phenomenon commonly known as the Rashomon effect . An Associated Press review of the grand jury found numerous problems in
10752-539: The militarization of policing, which introduces strategies, equipment, and mentality that treats criminal suspects as though they were enemies in wartime". The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when the country was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . This was a time of agrarian unrest and Irish nationalist / republican agitation. The RIC
10880-570: The militarization to the more recent campaigns known as the War on Drugs and the War on Terror . Historian Charles A. Beard argues that cultural change during the Great Depression encouraged the militarization of law enforcement, whereas Harwood argues that the creation of SWAT teams and tactical units within law enforcement during the 1960s began the trend. The 1981 Military Cooperation with Civilian Law Enforcement Agencies Act allows
11008-553: The militarizing of the policing of protests. Since the 1970s, riot police have fired at protesters using guns with rubber bullets or plastic bullets . Tear gas , which was developed by the United States Army for riot control in 1919, is still widely used against protesters. The use of tear gas in warfare is prohibited by various international treaties that most states have signed; however, its law enforcement or military use for domestic or non- combat situations
11136-413: The military was restricted from transferring some weapons, such as grenade launchers, weaponized vehicles, and bayonets to police. Obama said, "We've seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like it's an occupying force as opposed to a force that's part of the community that's protecting them and serving them ... So we're going to prohibit equipment made for the battlefield that
11264-415: The morgue. At 4:37 p.m. , Brown's body was signed in at the morgue by workers. Michael Brown was fatally shot by Officer Wilson at about 12:02 p.m. The Ferguson Police Department was on the scene within minutes, as were crowds of residents, some expressing hostility toward the police. Paramedics covered the body with sheets. About 20 minutes after the shooting, the Ferguson police chief turned over
11392-481: The need for officer safety and officer rights in any police changes that are to be effected", and objected to a requirement that police departments obtain permission from city governments to acquire certain equipment, including riot batons, helmets and shields, through federal programs. Pasco stated "We need to only look back to Baltimore (the location of the 2015 protests following the death of Freddie Gray ) to see what happens when officers are sent out ill-equipped in
11520-609: The officers' safety and enables them to protect members of the public and other first responders (e.g., firefighters and emergency medical services personnel). However, a 2017 study showed that police forces which received military equipment were more likely to have violent encounters with the public, regardless of local crime rates. A 2018 study found that militarized police units in the United States were more frequently deployed to communities with large shares of African-Americans, even after controlling for local crime rates. Many countries also have at least one gendarmerie , which
11648-422: The other was located near the rear driver's side of the police vehicle. There were two groups of red stains near the driver's side of the vehicle and a left sandal was also located in the vicinity. The right sandal was approximately 44 feet (13 m) east of the western area. The eastern area, which was approximately 124 feet (38 m) east of the western area, was about 29 feet (8.8 m) wide. Brown's body
11776-887: The prison environment." During the Years of lead , to deal with high-risk operational situations and also, specifically, as a result of the unsuccessful German response to the Munich massacre , NOCS (State Police) and GIS (Arma dei Carabinieri) were established, comparable to SWAT units from other countries. Since 2008, thousands of members of the armed forces (mainly Italian Army ) have been engaged in Operazione Strade sicure , basically to replace/assist law enforcement agencies in policing tasks (prevention/deterrence). The November 2015 Paris attacks had shown that normal police patrols could be ineffective against sudden terrorist attacks with military-grade weapons (nor, moreover,
11904-426: The protests was strongly criticized by both the media and politicians. Concerns were raised over insensitivity, tactics, and a militarized response . A grand jury was called and given evidence from Robert McCulloch , the St. Louis County Prosecutor. On November 24 , 2014, McCulloch announced the St. Louis County grand jury had decided not to indict Wilson. In March 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice reported
12032-418: The public due to the ongoing investigation. The federal autopsy report was among a group of documents released by the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office on December 8 , two weeks after the grand jury chose not to indict Wilson. On August 27 , CNN released an audio recording purported to contain the sounds of the shooting. The recording was made by an anonymous third-party who happened to be recording
12160-404: The published testimony of Officer Wilson and other law enforcement officials. The article said Wilson washed blood off of his hands without photographing them first. It also said Wilson submitted his gun to evidence by himself, and that initial interviews of Wilson were conducted with other personnel present and were not taped. It described Wilson's face injuries after the shooting as photographed by
12288-642: The responding patrolmen. Police noted that the service pistols carried by the first responding officers had insufficient range and relatively poor accuracy, although a SWAT team eventually arrived with sufficient firepower. The ineffectiveness of the standard police patrol pistols and shotguns in penetrating the robbers' body armor led to a trend in the United States toward arming selected police officers, not just SWAT teams, with heavier firepower such as semi-automatic 5.56×45mm NATO AR-15 type rifles. SWAT teams, whose close quarters battle weaponry usually consisted of submachine guns that fired pistol cartridges such as
12416-506: The results of both autopsies contradicted some aspects of some eyewitness accounts, which had reported Wilson shot Brown in the back and that Wilson shot Brown while holding Brown's neck. In later analysis, Baden reclassified one of Brown's chest wounds as an entry wound. Baden was assisted by Shawn Parcells, who did not have a degree or credentials in medicine or pathology. Thomas Young, former Jackson County Medical Examiner, said Parcells gave out forensic pathology opinions when Parcells
12544-545: The role. When becoming a CTSFO they are established into teams to form a police tactical unit . On 3 August 2016, the MPS held a press conference for the announcement of Operation Hercules , displaying the CTSFO teams to the public wearing wolf-grey-coloured tactical uniforms, equipped with SIG Sauer SIG516 and SIG MCX carbines, Glock 17 handguns, Remington 870 shotguns, Accuracy International AT308 sniper rifles, and paraded
12672-471: The same bases. The RUC was the first police force to use rubber and plastic bullets for riot control. The "political and militarised" RUC was succeeded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland , which continues to keep some counter-terrorism powers. Since the 2000s, its public order policing methods have been adopted by other police forces in the UK. Following the 2012 London Summer Olympics ,
12800-550: The seeming success of officers armed with military-style weapons and deployed to curtail the 1965 Watts riots , a six-day race riot sparked by conflicts with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) that killed 34 people, gave way to the trend of arming and equipping law enforcement officers with battlefield weapons. Joy Rohde, a professor at the University of Michigan 's Ford School of Public Policy , has published research indicating that "militarization
12928-407: The shooting claimed Brown had his hands up in surrender or said "don't shoot", so protesters later used the slogan " Hands up, don't shoot ". A subsequent FBI investigation said that there was no evidence that Brown had done so. Peaceful protests and violent riots continued for more than a week in Ferguson; police later established a nightly curfew. The response of area police agencies in dealing with
13056-733: The shooting determined witnesses who corroborated Wilson's account were credible while those who contradicted Wilson's account were not. The witnesses that claimed Brown was surrendering or did not move toward Wilson were not credible; the report said their claims were inconsistent with the physical evidence, other witness statements, and in some cases prior statements from the same witness. No witness statements that pointed to Wilson's guilt were determined to be credible. Twenty-four statements were determined to lack any credibility, while eight which were found credible corroborated Wilson's account. Nine did not completely contradict nor corroborate Wilson's account. Several witnesses reported fear of reprisals from
13184-404: The shooting scene extended approximately 184 feet (56 m) along Canfield Drive, near where it intersects Copper Creek Court. The two-lane street runs east to west, and has sidewalks and curbs on both sides. Immediately prior to the incident, Brown was walking eastbound on Canfield and Officer Wilson was driving westbound. Evidence at the scene was generally clustered around Wilson's patrol SUV on
13312-404: The south side of the road near Brown's body. The distribution of the casings, combined with most of the casings being east of the body, was consistent with Officer Wilson moving backward while firing. Blood spatter approximately 25 feet (7.6 m) behind Brown's body suggested Brown was moving toward Wilson when Brown was killed. Brown's DNA was found on Wilson's gun. His DNA was also found on
13440-404: The span of three months, to hear more than 5,000 pages of testimony from 60 witnesses and then deliberate on whether or not to indict Wilson. Most grand juries complete their work in a matter of days. The grand jury was not sequestered during the process. On the night of November 24 , Prosecutor McCulloch reported in a 20-minute press conference that the grand jury had reached a decision in
13568-492: The store traded him "cigarillos for pot." The lawyer claimed "[t]he reason he [Brown] gave it back is he was walking out the door with unpaid merchandise and they [the staff] wanted it back." The store's attorney said the video had been in the hands of Brown's family and law enforcement since the initial investigation, and said the video had been edited to remove the portion where the store clerk returned Brown's package to him. Following this, on March 13, 2017, unedited footage from
13696-422: The store was released by the St. Louis County prosecutor to try to settle questions. At 11:47 a.m. , Officer Wilson responded to a call about a baby with breathing problems and drove to Glenark Drive in Ferguson, east of Canfield Drive. About three minutes later and several blocks away, Brown was recorded on camera stealing a box of Swisher Sweets cigars and forcefully shoving a Ferguson Market clerk. At 11:53,
13824-472: The time. Legal analysts raised concerns over McCulloch's unorthodox approach, saying this process could have influenced the grand jury to decide against indictment and that they were given too much material to assess. The analysts highlighted the significant differences between a typical grand jury proceeding in Missouri and how Wilson's case was handled. Evidence presented to the grand jury showed that
13952-468: The type of support provided in this area. This allows the U.S. military to give law enforcement agencies access to its military bases and its military equipment . The legislation was promoted during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan in the context of the War on drugs , and is considered a part of a general trend towards the militarization of police. The Act is cited in the 1992 essay The Origins of
14080-409: The western side of the scene and near Brown's body, which was in the eastern part of the area. The 30-foot (9.1 m) western area included Wilson's SUV, which was angled slightly toward the right curb with its left-rear corner on the center line. Evidence included two bracelets, a baseball cap, and two .40 caliber spent casings . One of these casings was found at the western edge of the scene and
14208-448: The witness testimony, including statements that were "inconsistent, fabricated, or provably wrong". Several of the witnesses admitted changing their testimony to fit released evidence, or other witness statements. Prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch said, "I thought it was important to present anybody and everybody, and some that were, yes, clearly not telling the truth, no question about it." The Department of Justice investigation into
14336-547: Was a quasi-military police force: constables were armed with rifles, billeted in barracks, and the force had a militaristic structure and uniform. During the Irish War of Independence , it was tasked with tackling the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and worked alongside the British Army. An Auxiliary Division and Ulster Special Constabulary were formed to carry out counter-guerrilla operations. The RIC became
14464-511: Was an amateur rap musician who posted his songs on the popular music-sharing site SoundCloud under the handle "Big'Mike." He was two days from starting a training program for heating and air conditioning repair at Vatterott College technical school. Darren Dean Wilson (born May 14 , 1986, in Fort Worth, Texas ) is 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall and at the time weighed about 210 lb (95 kg). Wilson's first police job
14592-558: Was assisted by the Special Air Service such as fast roping from helicopters, abseiling , live fire CQB exercises and methods of explosive entry for door breaching . CTSFOs also have maritime capabilities from the Marine Policing Unit which allows them to raid vessels. This means that they can deploy from sea, air and land. Aspiring CTSFOs must complete a long gruelling selection course before achieving
14720-434: Was back in service and radioed units 25 and 22 to ask if they needed his assistance in searching for the suspects. Seven seconds later, an unidentified officer said the suspects had disappeared. Wilson called for backup at 12:02, saying "[Unit] 21. Put me on Canfield with two. And send me another car." Initial reports of what happened next differed widely among sources and witnesses, particularly with regard to whether Brown
14848-487: Was criticized for its violation of civil liberties and has generated a great deal of controversy since its enactment. In United States v. Antoine Jones , the court found that increased monitoring of suspects caused by the Patriot Act directly put the suspects' constitutional rights in jeopardy. For a time, the Patriot Act allowed for agents to undertake "sneak and peek" searches, a term used to describe breaking into
14976-414: Was found on the exterior of the driver's side of Wilson's vehicle; this evidence was consistent with a struggle at that location. According to Judy Melinek , a San Francisco pathologist who commented on the case as an expert, the official autopsy, which said Brown's hand had foreign matter consistent with a gun discharge on it, supported Wilson's testimony that Brown was reaching for the weapon, or indicated
15104-454: Was in charge of the prosecution but did not participate in the direct handling of the grand jury hearing. It was handled by two Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys of McCulloch's office: Kathi Alizadeh and Sheila Whirley. McCulloch announced an unusual process: the grand jury would hear all the evidence, the proceedings would be transcribed, and the materials would be made public if the grand jury did not indict. The grand jury took 25 days, over
15232-507: Was in the town of Jennings, Missouri , where he began working in 2009. With respect to this job, Wilson said to The New Yorker in 2015, "I'd never been in an area where there was that much poverty." The police force in Jennings was shut down by the town's city council in March 2011. In October 2011, Wilson began working for the Ferguson Police Department. In February 2013, Wilson won
15360-497: Was it realistic to assume that the elite units described above could always be present in places that required an exceptional state response). Precisely to engage such attackers – enabling GIS or NOCS to intervene decisively, while limiting the risks to public safety — "intermediate tactical formations" Unità operative di primo intervento of the State Police, and Aliquote di primo intervento – Squadre operative di supporto of
15488-529: Was limited because the previous county autopsy had washed, embalmed, and taken evidence off the body. According to Baden's report, Brown was shot six times into his front: four of the bullets entered his right arm, one entered his right eye on a downward trajectory, and one entered the top of his skull. All of the rounds were fired from a distance of at least one foot. One of the shots shattered Brown's right eye, traveled through his face, then exited his jaw and reentered his collarbone. Brown could have survived
15616-728: Was mostly incorporated into the Carabinieri "forestali" . The Polizia di Stato has been demilitarized since 1981 and the Polizia Penitenziaria since 1990. However, both corps make extensive use of military equipment, especially in the area of weapons. The Reparti mobili della Polizia di Stato (informally dubbed la Celere ) are logistically and organizationally similar to a military battalion ; often their personnel operate jointly with personnel from Carabinieri battaglioni/reggimenti . The Prison Police has its own specialized department ( Gruppo Operativo Mobile ), which deals, among other things, with "facing critical situations in
15744-409: Was moving towards Wilson when the shots were fired. At noon on August 9 , Wilson drove up to Brown and Johnson as they were walking in the middle of Canfield Drive and ordered them to move off the street. Wilson continued driving past the two men, but then backed up and stopped close to them. A struggle took place between Brown and Wilson after Brown reached through the window of Wilson's police SUV,
15872-557: Was reported that "RCMP officers have started openly carrying MP5 submachine guns on Parliament Hill as part of a visible increase to Parliament Hill security following last October's terrorist attack " in 2014. Conservative senator Vern White , a former RCMP officer and a former Ottawa police chief, says "... some RCMP officers guarding Parliament Hill against potential terrorist attacks should be armed with rifles similar to those carried by Canadian troops in Afghanistan [,]"
16000-527: Was shot in the front part of his body. When Mary Case, the St. Louis County medical examiner, was asked to provide details, she declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation into Brown's death. The official county autopsy was later leaked to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . The narrative report of investigation from the office of the medical examiner of St. Louis agreed with Wilson's testimony. It noted Brown had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to
16128-445: Was situated along the center-line of the road with his head oriented in a westerly direction. The distance from the driver's door of Wilson's SUV to Brown's head was about 153 feet (47 m). Two groups of red stains were located at the extreme eastern edge of the scene, with the furthest under 22 feet (6.7 m) from Brown's feet. One apparent projectile was found near the body. There were ten spent .40-caliber casings scattered on
16256-410: Was unarmed and died on the street. Less than 90 seconds passed from the time Wilson encountered Brown to the time of Brown's death. An unidentified officer arrived on the scene and, 73 seconds after Wilson's call, asked where the second suspect was. Thirty-one seconds later, a supervisor was requested by Unit 25. At 12:07 p.m. , an officer on scene radioed to dispatch for more units. Also at 12:07,
16384-415: Was very concerned about that pause ... because it's not just the number of gunshots, it's how they're fired. And that has a huge relevance on how this case might finally end up." CNN's law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes noted most accounts of the shooting say there was a single shot earlier in the incident near the vehicle that is not audible in the recording. The recording was also analyzed by SST, Inc. ,
#898101