americancitizen wrote:Wilson not only had a gun, but had a baton, mace, and also a 2,000+ lb vehicle which could have either been a weapon or a safe haven once the initial confrontation happened at the car and subsequently dis-engaged from, a confrontation that Wilson instigated effectively for something akin to jaywalking (I realize he has now changed his story to say he recognized Brown as the robbery suspect, even though his initial statements and those of the Ferguson Police Chief contradict that).
Regardless of whether he has the right under the law to use deadly force on a technical basis, that sure as sh*t is not the type of policing and decision making I want for our region. If we can get that change out of this event, that's a start.
In the initial altercation at the vehicle, a baton would have been completely ineffective given Wilson's restricted movement. Also, he says the reason he didn't use his mace was because in order to get it out, he would have had to let go of Brown with his left arm and left himself completely vulnerable. Even if he did use it, he doubted its effectiveness on Brown but would have certainly taken himself out with it. So, the only option he had was his gun.
Once outside the vehicle, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a man nearly 100 pounds heavier than you who just overpowered you is a foolish option. So in that scenario, a baton wouldn't have been a great idea. The mace becomes a better option than it was, but its effects are still in question and is far from a reliable means to immediately stop a threat. In short, the gun is the only option that he had that was nearly guaranteed to stop the threat. There was a great article posted by a former cop that spoke to this on detail back in August. I've been trying to find it, and once I do I'll post it.
As for the vehicle, he initially did use it. His testimony, and every other piece of evidence, shows that he used his car to block the route of Brown and Johnson. And what happened was that he got trapped inside. Unless you're saying you'd have him run Brown over instead, I don't know what you really mean by using his car as a weapon. Theoretically, I guess he could've locked himself in his car afterwards and waited for backup, but to use your words, "that sure as sh*t is not the type of policing and decision making I want for our region." It was his duty to ensure that Brown was apprehended. What that meant was keeping a visual on him or making sure he was in a position to get arrested. By that I mean that if Brown would've stopped and went on his knees, Wilson probably would've kept his weapon trained on him until backup arrived, at which point one officer would've handcuffed him while the other kept him covered.
And finally, yes he did initially stop him for something "akin to jaywalking". If Brown would've just gone to the sidewalk instead of walking down the middle of the street, nothing would've happened. Wilson didn't stop them because he thought they were involved in the robbery, but said that it clicked when he saw the cigarillos in his hands. This fits with many of the assumptions and speculations that experts and media had before Wilson's testimony became public. Also, while I'm on it, the crime Brown committed was a robbery, not a shoplifting as some like to argue. A robbery is the forceful taking of another's property, regardless of monetary value (the aforementioned article, if I find it, addresses this too). But Brown wasn't shot for this. He wasn't shot for stealing cigarillos or for jaywalking, he was shot in the process of assaulting an officer. Forensics support this, showing that Brown came back towards Wilson and at the time that he died was probably 8-10 ft. from Wilson, again matching with his story. Whether he came back at a charge, a stumble, a stagger or whatever isn't known, but the evidence matches Wilson's story.
americancitizen wrote:You know, that's an really thoughtful reply and adds a lot to the conversation. I can't believe I didn't see your point of view before.
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You're right. My initial post was out of frustration and too quick. But people are now stretching and reaching at things because they want Wilson's head, but the evidence simply isn't there. I imagine it's difficult to admit that one was wrong about something after months of so much emotion and investment, but the evidence, as determined by a grand jury that was selected months before the shooting even happened, doesn't even have probable cause to bring this case to trial. And I thought that Wilson's attorneys, although obviously biased, gave a great reason as to why this became more of an investigative grand jury as opposed to their usual practices. And while perhaps unusual, it also isn't unprecedented, as argued by a host of legal experts that have been paraded in front of the cameras, to include Rudy Giuliani.
