Unarmed Teen Horrifically Shot Dead By Cops in Missouri
An unarmed Missouri teenager was shot dead by police yesterday afternoon, triggering outrage among both residents and the Internet alike. According to the New York Daily News, 18-year-old Michael Brown was on his way to his grandmother’s house when the incident happened, and even now it’s unclear exactly what transpired. Witnesses claim that Brown was not only unarmed, but also had his hands in the air and showed no signs of resisting when he was shot. According to one witness, Dorian Johnson, who spoke with local news station KMOV:
“The officer ”shot again and once my friend felt that shot, he turned around and put his hands in the air,” said witness Dorian Johnson. ”He started to get down and the officer still approached with his weapon drawn and fired several more shots.”
KMOV states that multiple other witnesses corroborate Johnson’s account, and if this is true it shows a callous disregard for like on that officer’s part. Obviously the horrific death of an unarmed teen is going to spark outrage. The Daily News estimates that approximately 200 residents filled the streets demanding answers and accountability. Louis Head, the teen’s step dad, held a sign that read “Ferguson Police Just Executed My Unarmed Son!” Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden was understandably heartbroken. From The Post-Dispatch:
”I know they killed my son. This was wrong and it was cold-hearted.” Her son, she added, “doesn’t kill, steal or rob. He doesn’t do any of that.
Within the last hour, the St. Louis County Police Department released a statement claiming that Brown struggled for an officer’s gun in a patrol car right before he was killed, but that doesn’t justify them shooting the unarmed kid in the middle of the street as he apparently attempted to surrender. We won’t know the entire story until the investigation is finished, so I am trying to withhold judgement, but my heart is broken for this kid’s family and community. (Photo: Facebook)
