Weed deal video counters cops’ Michael Brown shooting claims
- 7 years ago
FERGUSON, MISSOURI — Surveillance video footage has emerged that may shine a new light on the events leading up to the police shooting of teenager Michael Brown two-and-a-half years ago.
Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was shot dead by white police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Wilson later claimed that he feared for his life.
Protests following Brown’s death turned violent and focused the attention of the nation on strained relations between the black community and the long arm of the law.
According to the cops, Wilson shot Brown as he resisted arrest and became aggressive in connection with the earlier robbery of a convenience store.
But evidence presented in a new documentary suggests Brown had reached an understanding with clerks at the store just 11 hours prior to the alleged robbery.
Surveillance footage shown in the film “Stranger Fruit” appears to confirm that Brown exchanged a bag of weed for several packages of cigarillos with the store clerks at 1 a.m. on Aug. 9, the New York Times reported.
The video shows Brown leaving the store, but then appears to change his mind. He then gives the cigarillos back to the clerks to stash behind the counter.
Filmmaker Jason Pollock presents compelling evidence in the documentary that the cops were aware of this encounter.
However, the police only released later surveillance footage, which appears to back up their claim that Brown robbed the convenience store.
Pollock and Brown’s mother said the new footage proves Brown did not steal the cigarillos and was the victim of a misunderstanding.
Pollock claims the cops deliberately sought to destroy Brown’s character with their selective release of the CCTV footage.
However, a lawyer for the convenience store insists that Brown stole the cigarillos.
A county grand jury and federal civil rights investigators cleared Officer Darren Wilson of criminal wrongdoing over Brown’s death. He then resigned from the police force.
Wilson, the city of Ferguson and the former Ferguson police chief are all respondents in a civil trial brought by Brown’s parents that’s due to start next year.
Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was shot dead by white police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Wilson later claimed that he feared for his life.
Protests following Brown’s death turned violent and focused the attention of the nation on strained relations between the black community and the long arm of the law.
According to the cops, Wilson shot Brown as he resisted arrest and became aggressive in connection with the earlier robbery of a convenience store.
But evidence presented in a new documentary suggests Brown had reached an understanding with clerks at the store just 11 hours prior to the alleged robbery.
Surveillance footage shown in the film “Stranger Fruit” appears to confirm that Brown exchanged a bag of weed for several packages of cigarillos with the store clerks at 1 a.m. on Aug. 9, the New York Times reported.
The video shows Brown leaving the store, but then appears to change his mind. He then gives the cigarillos back to the clerks to stash behind the counter.
Filmmaker Jason Pollock presents compelling evidence in the documentary that the cops were aware of this encounter.
However, the police only released later surveillance footage, which appears to back up their claim that Brown robbed the convenience store.
Pollock and Brown’s mother said the new footage proves Brown did not steal the cigarillos and was the victim of a misunderstanding.
Pollock claims the cops deliberately sought to destroy Brown’s character with their selective release of the CCTV footage.
However, a lawyer for the convenience store insists that Brown stole the cigarillos.
A county grand jury and federal civil rights investigators cleared Officer Darren Wilson of criminal wrongdoing over Brown’s death. He then resigned from the police force.
Wilson, the city of Ferguson and the former Ferguson police chief are all respondents in a civil trial brought by Brown’s parents that’s due to start next year.