What I'm expressing here is mutually exclusive from the respect for my family and friends who have served in law enforcement: I do not have a favorable opinion of how the some brass in local law enforcement and the Missouri State Highway Patrol handle community relations and respond to events. The press conference held Sunday by the St. Louis County Police at the Ferguson Police Department was completely unilluminating.
According to St. Louis County Police Chief Belmar, an unarmed 18-year-old, Mike Brown, was walking with a friend in the middle of Canfield when an officer attempted to exit his vehicle. Police said Brown pushed the officer back into the police car. According to police, Brown then entered the officer’s vehicle and a struggle ensued over the officer’s weapon. Police said during the physical altercation a shot was fired inside of the car. The officer and Brown exited the vehicle where Belmar said the fatal shooting occurred. Belmar noted he did not have an exact number of times that Brown was shot but said he was shot “more than just a couple of times, but not much more.” Belmar said the entire crime scene is roughly 35 feet from where the police car was parked to where the fatal shooting took place. According to police, shell casings matching the officer’s weapon were recovered at the scene. The officer involved in the shooting has only been described as being with the Ferguson Police Department for 6 years. Belmar said St. Louis County Police are conducting a thorough investigation and will turn the completed report over to the prosecuting attorney to determine if charges will be filed, which is standard protocol. According to Belmar, toxicology reports could take 6 weeks to be returned.
This has been universally criticized by both right and left in the city. Who was the other person with Brown? Why were a reported 8 – 10 shots needed on an unarmed teen? I understand that police don't want to compromise their investigation, but this is a volatile case and withholding information proved to be detrimental. The county PD chief's response was insufficient in diffusing anything. I dislike seeing the militarization of local law enforcement, especially when it could have been avoided. Why am I critical? Maybe it's because this isn't the first time that the state's law enforcement response has been questioned. Back in 2010, my fellow grassroots dissenters and I loudly criticized the Missouri Highway Patrol when they released a report—bearing the name of MO Governor Jay Nixon—listing grassroots activists as potential domestic terrorists because of personal beliefs. Not everything is in a left or right paradigm. The violence and looting is inexcusable. The fact that Leslie McSpadden, the mother of Mike Brown, was scared to go to her home last night because of the riots sickens me. It hijacks the spotlight off of the issue: getting accurate information on what happened in the shooting of Mike Brown. Until the facts of the matter are in, I can't say for certain what happened Saturday afternoon in Ferguson. My prayers are with Brown's family, the Ferguson community, and our local law enforcement. Pastors need to descend like an army in Ferguson. Passions need to cool so solutions can be realized. *Also, this was from this afternoon. h/t listener James. 
*Some have asked “Well what do you expect them to do?” in regards to militarization of the local force. That's easier to say now after the choice was already made, isn't it? Unfortunately the powers that be punted on community relations in this case which unfortunately resulted in officers on the front line like this. This is a question that should have been asked Saturday after the shooting.
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