I took a lot of intra-racial flak for not eulogizing Michael in my original commentary as an innocent victim of yet another racist police shooting. The (my-race-right-or-wrong) guardians of Black pride took exception to my pointing out that this kid would not have been shot if he had cooperated with the arresting officer; that is, instead of not only resisting arrest, but getting into a friggin’ scuffle … allegedly.
Well, now comes the breaking news about Michael being caught on video robbing a store just minutes before he was shot:
In a shocking twist to the killing which sparked riots in St Louis, Missouri over the last few days, the officer investigating the convenience store robbery also attended the scene of the shooting and said the suspect and Brown were the same person…
In the grainy images, a large black man wearing a light-colored shirt, distinctive shoes, a red baseball hat and khaki shorts is seen assaulting a clerk and then stealing cigars.
A photograph of Michael Brown’s lifeless body, taken minutes later in the street, shows that he was wearing a light grey shirt, the same shoes and khaki cargo shorts.
(Daily Mail, August 15, 2014)
Let me hasten to clarify that, even if Michael were a murder suspect, this policeman, who has now been outed as Officer Darren Wilson, had a duty to hold fire as soon as Michael threw his hands up (in the “universal sign of surrender”) … allegedly. And this duty would have applied even if Michael resisted initially and landed a few blows during their scuffle. This is why, especially now that the FBI is on the case, Wilson will surely be charged for using excessive force in some degree.
But the release of this video must have come like a punch in the gut to anyone who eulogized Michael as a “gentle giant.” Not least because it not only shows him stealing cigarettes, but also strong-arming a middle-aged store clerk – who looks half his size – to make his getaway.
The Trayvon Martin lawyers are probably chief among those nursing gut-wrenching concerns today. After all, they offered to represent Michael’s parents because they clearly felt his death would incite similar notoriety and evoke similar sympathy. But, deep down inside, these lawyers must surely know that, if the video in Trayvon’s case showed him stealing instead of buying skittles and iced tea, his killing by (cop wannabe) George Zimmerman would not have incited nearly as much notoriety, and even less sympathy. I’m sure Trayvon’s parents are wary about his legacy being diminished by association with Michael’s….
No doubt this is why these crusading lawyers are now leading a chorus of those chanting that, by releasing this video, the police are attempting to assassinate Michael’s character. (What little character any menacing teenage thief could have, I suppose.)
Finally, with all due respect to my critics, this video vindicates my decision not to join the procession of those making a martyr of Michael. In fact, I saw this as more of a teachable moment; specifically, to impress upon young Black men what tragic consequence could unfold if they choose (viscerally as they often do) to confront, instead of cooperate with, the police. Because there’s no denying that, if Brown had cooperated, he would still be alive – even if stewing in jail.
Meanwhile, nothing indicates how infected with marauding fools this Black community is quite like looting returning as a feature of “peaceful” protests in Ferguson last night. This effectively dashed naive hopes that appointing a (token) Black as interim chief of this Black community’s White police force would induce young Black men to stop looting and vandalizing their own community. It’s too shameful and disheartening for words … on all sides.
Related commentaries:
Killing of Michael more about resisting arrest…
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