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community, Michael Brown, Missouri State Police Captain Ron Johnson, Police Officer, police officers, Ron Johnson
Missouri State Police Captain Ron Johnson is a tall, big, imposing black man. He was sent to Ferguson, Missouri to dialogue with the people, to get down with them, to be a bridge over troubled waters. Unfortunately, he forgot his place; he forgot who and what he was. I am not, gentle readers, referring to race, at least not in that context.
credit: the guardian.com
Ferguson, and the rest of America, are seeing community organizing at work. Descending on Ferguson are Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Benjamin Crump–an attorney heavily involved in the George Zimmerman persecution-and the race hustling surrounding that prosecution–the New Black Panthers, and a variety of other race hustlers, media fellow travelers, and other social parasites.
Johnson, much of the media, and surely Johnson’s superiors apparently thought that because he is black and successful, he would have some magic power over the crowds and could establish “dialogue” and cause everyone to “work together.” That notion was quickly dashed.
Traveling on a short trip on Saturday, the 16th of August, I listened via Sirius radio to a live press conference with Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Capt. Johnson in which the Captain tried his “this is not who we are,” and “let’s all just work together” schtick. Much of the crowd wasn’t buying and he was frequently shouted down.
What Johnson and others seem to have forgotten is that good intentions and being the “right” color don’t matter at all to community organizers, race hustlers and criminals. They’re not present to establish racial harmony and sing “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing In Perfect Harmony.” They’re present to loot, party, inspire people to be at each other’s throats and keep them there, shakedown anyone that can enrich them, and to behave like community organizers, race hustlers and criminals. They don’t give a boatload of dead rodents what color Ron Johnson or anyone else is, unless that’s useful in their con games. In fact, in situations like this, they’re more likely to consider Johnson a traitor to his race than to say, “my, shouldn’t we all emulate that fine example of an upright black man?”
They were also apparently blind to the fact that in an essentially anti-police atmosphere, an atmosphere where the media and others are screaming about the evils of police officers using military-like vehicles and wearing SWAT-like tactical clothing, employing tear gas and similar crowd control weapons, there are no police uniforms more militaristic in appearance than state trooper uniforms. Johnson obviously understood this to at least some degree because he was seen out in public without his hat. This is significant because state troopers are more serious about the wearing of hats than the preservation of life itself. A state trooper without his hat is like the Lone Ranger without his mask.
Captain Johnson is apparently a fine man and officer, and it’s good of him to try to bring peace–it’s his job–but he’s a police officer. That’s not a problem for good people of any color, but for the people he wants to teach to sing in perfect harmony, he’ll always be nothing more than a cop. He’d be wise to keep that in mind, and according to media reports, after his Saturday press opportunity, many residents of the community approached the “approachable” Captain and let him know just that, and not particularly kindly.
I simply don’t know enough about the circumstances of Michael Brown’s death to make any intelligent commentary on it. I will, in this initial article of what will almost certainly become a series, make a few general observations.
STATISTICAL HYSTERIA:
A variety of pundits, including some who should know better, have observed that Ferguson has changed over the course of several decades from a majority white town to a majority black town. They are blaming the current uproar over the fact that only about four of the officers in Ferguson’s 50-some officer police department are black. This means, to their way of thinking, that Ferguson officials have been horribly negligent in not making the staffing of the Ferguson police department look exactly like the statistical racial makeup of Ferguson, and this supposed “fact” is somehow a contributing factor to all manner of ills. Right.
One can argue about the value and validity of such racial quota mongering, but before one bewails the apparent lack of black faces in blue, it might be good to know how many qualified black people have applied to be Ferguson officers in recent years. Should that number amount to what is commonly known as “few to none,” Ferguson officials might appear to be a bit less negligent. Of course, racial quota mavens will simply argue that this would mean that Ferguson should have done far, far more to recruit them, because having the right colored people in the right numbers is far more important than competence.
THE CHILD/MAN:
Michael Brown has been called a “teenager,” an “18 year-old child,” and 18 year-old teenager,” and a variety of other formulations aimed at making him seem very young and child-like. Those that have followed this scruffy blog’s coverage of the Trayvon Martin case are familiar with that tactic. From the moment he was killed, Martin essentially reverted in age to a child, and a virtual fetus at his trial, the better to ramp up sympathy and muddy the waters.
While any 18 year-old is surely a teenager, as is a 19 year old, they’re commonly considered adults in law and practice unless there is some reason to infantilize them. Many 18 year olds are anxious to be thought of as adults, and 18 is the magic age determining juvenile or adult charges in the criminal justice system. Something to watch and consider as the drama progresses.
ROBBERY? ROBBERY DON’T MATTER!
Since the dissemination of stills from Michael Brown’s robbery of a local quick shop a short time before he was killed, even the attorney representing Brown’s companion present for both incidents has admitted that Brown was there, and that it is Brown in the video. However, they have claimed this wasn’t a robbery, and even if it was, it has no bearing whatever on his death shortly thereafter, and it amounts to nothing more than character assassination of a dead man, er boy, er teenager.
This is the Missouri statute that applies:
Robbery in the second degree.
569.030. 1. A person commits the crime of robbery in the second degree when he forcibly steals property. Robbery in the second degree is a class B felony [Punishable by not less then 5 years and not more than 15 years].
Brown certainly stole property, and by grabbing the much smaller clerk by the neck and pushing him–Brown was 6’4” tall and in the 300 pound range–used force. In other states, robbery without a weapon, employing physical force, is often called “strongarm robbery.” Because Brown was 18, he would surely have been facing adult felony charges.
Some have suggested that because Officer Darren Wilson apparently wasn’t aware of the robbery when he found Brown and his friend walking down the middle of a street about 10 minutes after the robbery, the robbery has no bearing whatever on his death. Nonsense.
Even if Officer Wilson wasn’t aware of the robbery, Brown certainly was, and his frame of mind, knowing that he had just robbed a store, is a substantial factor in this case. Walking down the middle of a road after just robbing a store might well indicate an aggressive, hostile frame of mind.
ERIC HOLDER TO THE RESCUE:
US Attorney General Eric Holder has already injected the federal government into this case, even ordering a separate federal autopsy of Brown’s body because of the “extraordinary” nature of the case. News accounts of as many as 40 FBI agents blanketing the community are circulating.
Erik Scott, a red-headed, white West Point graduate was shot and killed by three Las Vegas Metro officers under highly suspicious circumstances, and Holder wasn’t the least interested.
Jose Guerena, a two-tour Hispanic Marine combat veteran was shot to death in his own home in Tucson by a panicky SWAT team and left to bleed out for more than an hour. Holder saw nothing extraordinary in that.
I guess they weren’t Holder’s “people.” Obviously, Michael Brown is. I wonder why?
Federal involvement will ensure that regardless of the facts, Holder’s people will get their pound of flesh. Officer Darren Wilson, regardless of how justified he may have been, is probably toast. Sentence first, trial later. Guilty until proved guilty.
OUTSIDERS:
Some claiming to speak for Ferguson residents, many of whom are black, say that the races get along very well in Ferguson, and those looting, organizing the community and causing other kinds of trouble are outside agitators. This may very well be true. Most Americans are too busy making a living and caring for their families to harbor or act on racial animosities. Unless, of course, some folks are community spirited enough to come to town to organize those kinds of hatreds.
Something else to keep an eye on in Ferguson.
YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN:
During the early morning hours of Saturday, August 16, looters ran, unrestrained, in Ferguson. Storeowners called every law enforcement agency in the area, and when they called the Police were told to call the Sheriff. Calling the sheriff, they were told to call the Highway Patrol. Calling the Highway patrol…you get the idea. No one came. No one arrested the looters.
This is a reminder of something all police officers know. The only reason they can do their jobs and survive is because most people are willing to obey most laws most of the time. It takes very little and only a very small proportion of the public to refuse to obey the law, to riot and loot, to render the police essentially useless. It puts the officers in the position of having to use deadly force to reestablish order, and of course, if they did that, they’d be crucified. This is particularly true when political correctness is involved and officers don’t want to be accused or racial insensitivity.
They’re viciously criticized for using too much force in maintaining order, and as a result, become completely gun shy.
Is anyone surprised to learn that storeowners and their friends took up arms and restored order when the police would not? By then, a great deal of damage had been done, but one of the primary purposes of the Second Amendment was vindicated yet again.
The veneer of civilization is thin indeed.
I’ll add more about this situation as it develops.
Stately McDaniel Manor 
Michael,
The similarities with the Trayvon case don’t stop with a white authority figure shooting an unarmed black teenager. Did you see the picture of the impromptu memorial for Brown? In addition to flowers and candles, there was MD2020 and other bottles of alcohol as well as, wait for it, a bottle of NyQuil. Couldn’t see any Skittles or watermelon juice, but then the picture wasn’t that great.
Also, remember that Trayvon had just tried to purchase some cigars, but was refused. Brown had just stolen cigars. Anyone else think these upstanding young boys were thinking blunts?
Both cases were tragic. Both deaths could have been prevented by the “victim”.
Allyn
I agree with every word… well almost… in my book an 18 year old is still a teenager. Unfortunately the law intervened and lowered the legal age to vote from 21 to 18. I maintain that 18 year olds are still quite young and not fit to make adult decisions.
That being said, your analysis is very good, and to the point of what took place. Now we have some more information, this time from Michael Baden who has announced the results of his autopsy. Brown was shot more than 6 times. This is consistent with the mysterious witness whose voice is heard in the background of a tape posted on youtube. The shot that killed Brown was to the head. Baden pointed out that it appeared that Brown had his head lowered as if he was charging the other person… or it could be in other circumstances as described. There were no hands raised in the air if you look at the drawing of where the bullets hit Brown’s body. In other words this autopsy is consistent with Darren Wilson’s statement and not consistent with the nonsense that came from Dorian Johnson.
Question: Did Crump or someone associated with Crump tell Johnson to make the claim about Brown being shot in the back?
Is Johnson chargeable in browns death since it followed the felony robbery? Isnt a death occurring during a felony considered a special circumstance of some kind? If Browns behaviour is shown to be a result or possible result of his mindset after the felony robbery, then Johnson is an accomplice of some kind isn’t he? I cant even remember the relevant law right now, but I suspect that Johnson might, and would be more than happy to spin a tissue of lies to try and cover his own ass…
I do not know enough about your laws. I do however think it is plausible that Johnson lied to cover his own ass……
Dear John VI:
That’s an interesting possibility. Normally there is a more direct connections. Johnson was present when Brown did the robbery, Brown killed the clerk, so Johnson can also be charged with the murder. Where there is more separation, as there may be in this case, charing Johnson might be a stretch. Much will depend not only on Missouri law, but on the political implications. This situation will almost certainly be decided far more on politics than law, particularly at the federal level.
When I hear 6’4″ and 300 lbs., I think linebacker sized person, not child or teenager. Just a little detail that never made the news?
The absolute dearth of facts from the authorities is a travesty, and is causing a tragedy. The mob is being driven to a frenzy by people with agendas spreading rumors and lies. Including the media. The only antidote is truth.
Why does it take 5 days to release a video of the thug attacking a store manager? Why does it take a week to release the fact that he was NOT shot in the back? Why is the officer’s side of the story being leaked by friends, not presented by his chief of police? And why does it take a week?
You are assuming that the police are just idly sitting by with nothing to do, except answer your questions. This is not a crime drama where everything is determined and the bad guys locked up in 45 mins.
The video took a couple of days because the owner originally didn’t want to part with it. A court order resolved that. The rest of it is creating a press packet for each FOIA request.
I believe there have been at least two autopsies and maybe a third performed on this outstanding example of modest behavior. Keeping silent on the first allows the second to be accepted as readily as the first. Meaning, there can’t be any fudging on the autopsy. If the original autopsy was published and showed it was a justifiable shooting, and the second was ordered and showed something different, there could be reasonable assertions that the first was made as a whitewash and the second was made to convict someone who really shouldn’t be convicted.
Keeping information from the public is the last thing the police want to happen, unless you are Captain Ron Johnson. The original Police Chief was giving out information detrimental to the narrative. The narrative being, a white cop shoots a black chile for no particular reason. The other reason is the hope that having a black cop in charge would lessen the tensions. Sadly, it has not been the case.
The friend talking is part of the 15 mins of fame mindset.
Dear rd:
I’ll be explaining more of this in the near future, but investigations take time. In situations like this, there are always demands for immediate decisions, etc. Part of the job of competent investigators is to slow things down, to be sure everything is done properly and legally, and that the information being gathered is accurate. Merely identifying all possible witnesses, gathering all possible evidence, making appointments, doing interviews and doing follow up interviews, commonly takes not days but weeks, even months. Rushing produces bad evidence, bad decisions, and harms respect for the law.
Five days? That’s blazingly fast. From what I’ve been able to discover, it appears the store owner didn’t want to part with the video, requiring the police to obtain a warrant. That’s takes several days.
Let’s be careful not to draw conclusions too early.
I have been amazed by how quickly FPD has done…well, so much. The process is vast, there are procedural pitfalls in all directions, and countless details. They are under so much pressure, external as well as, I’m sure, internal.
I have been appalled by the widespread comments I’ve seen…pretty much everywhere…that law enforcement and the law in general must operate at the same rate as Twitterfeeds.
I have been amazed by the restraint these LEOs have shown. The discipline. Of course, no matter how much professionalism LE professionals show, they will always be raiding parties of jackbooted…whatever. What a thankless profession.
The calls for arrest were predictable. Mr. McDaniel, you may have seen this discussion of what is emerging as a common, and predictable game plan in the Brown case:
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2014/08/18/with-big-mike-scheme-team-assembled-well-show-you-the-similarities-of-ferguson-missouri-2014-and-sanford-florida-2012
Blogger Sundance concludes that the end game of the scheme is to get a payout from the taxpayers of Ferguson, St. Louis County, and the state of Missouri.
Dear Mr. Olorin:
Sundance is quite right. That’s precisely why Benjamin Crump, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are there. Crump is after a lawsuit settlement, and Sharpton and Jackson are scoping out the lay of the land to see who they can shake down.
From here on out, unless someone stops Crump and company, there will be loud calls for an arrest of the officer. There does not have to be a trial nor a conviction. Crump just needs an arrest to strong arm the city of Ferguson for a money settlement. Another way of putting it, the grief-stricken family now will only be consoled by cash.
The similarities between this incident and the Trayvon incident are striking.
Dear Joel:
Quite so. Crump is there to extort cash from the city, and so are Sharpton and Jackson. The facts don’t matter.
Reblogged this on Justice For All and commented:
I have tried to stay clear of this mess but the similarities to the Trayvon Martin case, from the same tactics to the inclusion of the same lawyers of Crump and company have made this impossible to not discuss.
Here’s is a great recap from Mike, which covers much of what has happened. I will only add the following to his recap;
The Governor, Democrat Nixon has deployed the National Guard to the area, after the events of last nights where 2 people were shot, cops were shot at and at least 7 arrest were made.
Missouri State Police Captain Ron Johnson is also a Ferguson native which was hoped would help in the situation.
The lawyers for the family, despite the forensic evidence from their own autopsy insist that one of the shots was from the back and his hands were up.
Finally, they are starting to call for the arrest of Officer Wilson. The call all we want is an arrest, a familiar refrain during the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman case has begun.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/17/justice-department-autopsy-brown-ferguson/14196559/
Dr. Henry Lee on CNN just said that the gun shot to the hand possibly happened when Brown grabbed for the gun…
That’s also why there are no exit wounds on the backs of the arms… the trajectory was ‘laced’ along the length of the arm and then into the chest once (one bullet), not through the arm front to back four times (four bullets).
graze palm –> perforating forearm –> graze elbow –> perforating bicep –> into chest
And we know two of the three bullets were recovered at the “X” marks in the chest and the third from the skull.
He was only shot three times.
This also tends to dispel the rumor that he raised that arm in surrender… he couldn’t have.
Dr. Badden said the bullets entered the body twice, so he was shot 3 or 4 times.
CNN now reporting friend of the officer’s account of the incident…
The trajectory analysis matches the officer’s account. Brown was grabbing the gun when it went off.
No powder burns.
Though were he to be grabbing for a gun that was pulled on him that would be, ya know, logical. Just sayin’. It would behoove me to prevent the gun from being pointed in my direction at close range, but there is no evidence (yet) he actually touched it.
In any case, its quite possible he did have his arms up to surrender, just not above his head. Having your hands up, palms outward, roughly even with your shoulder would come perilously close to lining all those holes up. After being shot x number of times to cause the arm/flank wound, the individual attempts to get to the ground, where in the head shot is delivered. To be shot at the top of the cranium after already being stiched on the side, drop your head bull rush style and charge, after already being in close proximity doesn’t make much sense.
I think he was running, took a bullet in the arm, which spun him, hands start to come up (syncs with witness statements in all counts so far), then more bullets.
Assaulting the target, disengaging from the target after a shot gets fired, only to re-engage by blindly running at the target while leading with your head… I can’t see that happening.
On the tape made right after he was shot and guy is telling others what he saw.
They said “why is he facing the police truck” the witness said “He doubled back and was running up there where I live. Shots being fired, it was like the police were missing, pause and more shots.” He never said his hands were in the air.
Dear RuleofOrder:
I’ve learned through hard won experience to be cautious about Coroner’s reports. They do make mistakes. In addition,it’s always dangerous to draw firm conclusions without having the actual evidence in your hands.
I suspect the presence or absence of powder burns will be essentially inconsequential in this case, but again, I can’t be certain. We have much to learn.
No powder burns.
Source, please?
As far as I’ve seen, only the second forensic examination, done by the Scheme Team, has been (partially) released. I’ve not seen a link to the original, official autopsy. Though if you have one, I’d surely be interested in reviewing it.
My comment regarding powder burns was directed specifically to the gun shot wound on the hand having occurred while reaching for the gun.
“In addition,it’s always dangerous to draw firm conclusions without having the actual evidence in your hands.” — just making casual observation. If you assume that position at your keyboard, right now, literally its not too far of a stretch to see how the holes would line up like that.
Not saying it is impossible to have happened another way, it just seems peculiar that some one would run, get shot, then run back at the location to where the bullets are flying from, and leading with your head in order to do it. If we are talking a head drop spear style tackle, you wouldn’t have a running start like that, right? Right before striking the target, sure, but that would mean a hulking mass of dead weight would have barreled into the officer, pretty much removing all doubt.
@RuleOfOrder:
That’s the “private autopsy” (i.e. forensic examination), performed by the unqualified and controversial Shawn Parcells and later signed off on by Dr. Michael Baden, not the official autopsy performed by the medical examiner.
I’ll withhold any GSR evaluation until the official autopsy is released.
There’s a deeper issue here. The riots happened in the first place because FPD has been operating without the consent of the governed for a long, long time. That is why they were initially so out of touch, and why it was too far gone for the Highway Patrol to turn around by the time they got control.
The Dallas PD had a very similar circumstance with the Dixon Circle shooting. Because Chief Brown and his officers had been doing their job in community policing and getting to know their beats, DPD was able to get in front of it before it got out of hand.
There is nothing in the Peelian principles that supports a cop wearing camo. Ever. It isn’t the job of police to hide or sneak up on anyone.
When did Ferguson stop holding elections?
Around 1990, when the Deep State took hold everywhere.
The police aren’t elected. Even if they were, that you are allowed to choose a new slave master every few years doesn’t excuse enslaving you.
I’ve come to expect biased media coverage (unarmed teen! unarmed teen!) but one would think that the media would proceed with a little more caution considering the impact this circus might have on those that would consider becoming LEO’s. Guess not…
Well, it appears that Michael Brown was on drugs as well. Congrats, we found the common denominator for those who attack the police. Drugs.
Captain Ron Johnson is FIRST and foremost a Black. This comes before being a man, a Christian, a law enforcement officer, a father, a husband, or a Cardinals fan. Once you understand this solidarity ingrained in black DNA you can proceed from there.
Starting with a false premise will lead to a false conclusion.
And now Officer Wilson’s medical report is out. He suffered an orbital blowout, which means his eye socket got crushed a bit.
The real difference between this incident and Trayvon incident is the information is getting out there faster. First: Strong-arm robbery by the deceased minutes before the incident. Second: The cop’s version of events. Third: Video of a person who corroborates the cop’s version. And now, forth: The actual damage inflicted by the deceased. We had less information two months after Trayvon’s death.
WIlson’s medical report is not out. All we have is rumors from anonymous “police sources”. I already consider most cops to be liars, and that is when they are testifying on the stand. They are even more likely to be lying when they are anonymous.
Oh, I don’t know about that. I do know that the initial lies told to and repeated by MSM are being shredded. Like the lie about Michael Brown being a gentle giant.The video from the convenience store shut that one down.
Let us see…..the lie that Michael Brown was shot in the back. That lie went down in flames.
As more and more of the original lies are being debunked and more and more rumors of Wilson’s actions and conditions are coming out, I am starting to think that the anonymous police sources are far more accurate than the fanciest MSM reporter on the scene.
Dear Joel:
Thus far, that appears to be the case.
Not for nothing, but shot in the back vs reacting from being shot from behind are 2 different things. Anyone whom is running from a shooter behind them and gets tagged is going to react, it wouldn’t be a stretch (from a by stander’s position) to think he was hit in the back if he reacted to such a graze while running.
Right. There were a lot of misses, as people who study real gunfights would expect. It’s entirely reasonable to think that there was a scuffle, he ran, the cop shot at him and missed, he stopped and turned around, cop kept shooting. That would be consistent with the eyewitness stories (some of which have included a scuffle at the car from the start.)
I wouldn’t put too much stock into bullet location, especially the angle of the head shot. It’s much, MUCH more likely that he was falling forward when the head shot happened. If you look at the grouping, and imagine him falling as the shots are coming in, the head shot is within what would actually be an impressive group for real-combat conditions. If he’s not falling it’s an outlier, which suggest re-aiming, which is even MORE ludicrous in the charging scenario below.
The idea that he was head-down charging at the cop car is ridiculous and stupid. The idea that he was shot with his head pitched forward because he was falling and the cop was still shooting is both reasonable and appropriate for the cop, because he can’t react to someone falling quick enough to stop shooting. Massad Ayoob has had to testify to that multiple times for private citizens and cops who shot in self-defense. It’s also how he could have back shots even if he wasn’t shot (at) from behind, because people also turn when they are falling.
This really gets down to the base question — what was Brown doing when he was shot at? If he was running, and the cop shot at him, then his actions were reasonable (stopping, turning around, possibly putting his hands up) and the cop’s were unreasonable (shooting at a fleeing suspect. Even if he HAD just tried to get the gun, that incident was now OVER and you have to reset the situation.)
It’s damned hard to imagine a situation where he has a struggle for the gun, runs away, decides to come back once the cop already has the gun drawn, and then is hit multiple times while charging the cop, head down and still only manages to get within 35 feet. That’s not realistic, that’s wishing and hoping that there was some way this was a good shoot.
There isn’t.
There are no good guys in this one.
Whom is be running way frum cop shooter may or maybe not be running toward said cop, just thinking. Scat that! Honkie cop shoot, broh daid. Nuf said, just saying. De Deep State long arm take down nother broh. Niggah DAID! Nuf said, just saying, De cop complices beat him up! Alibiville, man! Anyone whom is believing de lies of the white man–white man love to kill black man–especially white hizpanik mens! Poor boy agoin to college, all he was thinking about walkin down dat road.