Seven years ago this week, an event transpired which dramatically changed the complexion of America. This event took place in Ferguson, Missouri – a suburb of about 20,000 people located northwest of St. Louis. Just after noon on August 9, 2014, 18 year old Michael Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson – both black – were walking down a two lane road named Canfield Drive. Police officer Darren Wilson approached the two in his patrol SUV and ordered them to move off the street. A struggle ensued between Officer Wilson and Michael Brown. Two initial shots were fired from Wilson’s sidearm, one of which struck Brown in the right hand. Michael Brown and his friend fled down the street while Officer Wilson exited his vehicle and pursued them. According to Dorian Johnson, Michael Brown then raising his hands above his head in the universal sign of surrender and shouted “don’t shoot!” Johnson claimed that Officer Darren Wilson opened fire anyway, abruptly ending Michael Brown’s short life.
Immediately after Michael Brown’s death, the narrative quickly spread that Brown had been killed execution-style by a racist white cop. Ferguson erupted in mayhem. Businesses were looted, vehicles were vandalized, a gas station and convenience store were burned. Police in riot gear tried to disperse the crowds with tear gas and rubber bullets. Virtually overnight, the phrase “hands up, don’t shoot” became part of the national lexicon. Protesters held their hands aloft as they chanted this slogan. The expression appeared on signs and shirts. Michael Brown’s stepfather produced a sign that read “Ferguson police just executed my unarmed son!” Several days after the shooting, the ubiquitous Al Sharpton told protesters: “If you’re angry, throw your arms up. If you want justice, throw your arms up. Because that’s the sign Michael was using. He had a surrender sign. That’s the sign you have to deal with. Use the sign he last showed. We want answers why that last sign was not respected.”
The death of Michael Brown still looms large in the national imagination. In many ways, the protests and riots which followed Michael Brown’s death represent the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement. BLM had recently begun in July of 2013, when a hispanic man named George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of black teen Trayvon Martin. However, Ferguson Missouri is really the place where the BLM movement seized the national consciousness. For many Americans, the thought of Michael Brown dying in a pool of his own blood on the pavement of Canfield Drive remains a powerful reminder of our nation’s racism and police brutality. Leftists news organizations such as the New York Times and the Washington Post allocated massive resources to magnify the story of Brown’s death, as well as the subsequent protests and riots.
There is, however, a serious problem with the compelling story of young Micheal Brown gunned down in cold blood by a racist white police officer: it is entirely false.
Here is what really happened on August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Just before noon, security footage demonstrated that Michael Brown and Dorian Johnson entered the Ferguson Market convenience store, where Brown brazenly reached over the counter to steal a box of cigarillos (small cigars). This occurred in full view of the store clerk, who immediately confronted Brown. Brown, however, shoved the clerk aside and left the store. It’s vital to realize that Michael Brown was a very large and imposing individual, standing 6 ft 4 inches tall and weighing just under 300 lbs. The store clerk immediately called the police to report the theft, giving an exact description of the suspects. This report in turn went out to police units over the radio.
Moments after robbing the store, Michael Brown and Dorian Johnson were encountered walking down the middle of the street by Officer Darren Wilson in his police SUV. Wilson quickly realized that Brown and Johnson fit the description of the convenience store robbery. Wilson pulled up alongside them, rolled down his window, and ordered the pair out of the street and onto the sidewalk. Instead of complying with Wilson’s directive, Brown retorted, “Fuck what you have to say.” When Wilson attempted to exit his vehicle, Brown slammed the door shut. Through the open window, Brown repeatedly punched Officer Wilson and attempted to get control of Wilson’s firearm – nearly succeeding. As they wrestled for control of the weapon, Brown taunted Wilson, “You’re too much of a pussy to shoot me.” During this struggle, Officer Wilson discharged his sidearm twice with one round striking Michael Brown in the hand.
At this point, Brown disengaged and retreated down the street. Officer Wilson exited his vehicle and pursued Brown. Inexplicably, Michael Brown then turned around and charged straight at Wilson. Here is how one credible witness described this fateful moment: “Brown ran toward the officer full charge. The officer fired several shots at him, and…Mike Brown continuously came forward in the charging motion…And when he stopped, that’s when the officer ceased fire…When he charged once more, the officer returned fire with, I would say…three to four shots. And that’s when Mike Brown finally collapsed.” Autopsy evidence would later confirm that Michael Brown’s injuries were thoroughly compatible with him charging directly at Officer Wilson.
Additionally, there is no evidence that Michael Brown ever surrendered by raising his hands in the air, nor did he ever say, “don’t shoot.” This false account almost certainly spread because of Brown’s companion, Dorian Johnson. Virtually everything that came out of Dorian Johnson’s mouth regarding the shooting was a lie. The credulous media widely reported that Brown had been executed while raising his hands in surrender, pleading “don’t shoot.” There were even some accounts by which Officer Wilson had shot Brown in the back while he fled. Some in the neighborhood eagerly came forward to testify that they had seen Brown’s hands up in surrender. However, such witnesses would later recant their stories, admitting that they hadn’t even seen the shooting.
Thankfully, reliable witnesses confirmed that Michael Brown did in fact charge full force at Officer Wilson. This took serious courage as many truthful witnesses experienced huge pressure and intimidation to produce false accounts portraying Brown as a helpless victim gunned down while trying to surrender. Many witnesses buckled under this unrelenting pressure. For example, one elderly black neighbor agreed that Officer Wilson was fully justified in his actions. This gentleman declared, “[I] would have fucking shot that boy, too.” Yet despite this acknowledgement, this man still refused to give authorities a formal statement. It’s hardly surprising that he and many others refused to cooperate considering the neighborhood’s widespread hostility to the truth.
Eventually, both a local grand jury and a federal investigation completely exonerated Officer Darren Wilson. The federal investigation was especially noteworthy, considering it originated from the Department of Justice, led by attorney general Eric Holder. Holder – appointed by President Barack Obama – had every motivation to bring charges against Darren Wilson. Yet despite Holder’s careful scrutiny, there was never a single shred of evidence that Officer Wilson had acted inappropriately, much less criminally. The DOJ report clearly states, “Multiple credible witnesses corroborate virtually every material aspect of Wilson’s account and are consistent with the physical evidence.”
Well, now we know the facts. On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown was shot while violently attacking Police Officer Darren Wilson. During the course of events, Brown repeatedly refused to comply with Wilson’s verbal directives. Instead, he cursed at Wilson, then forcefully assaulted the officer. Brown repeatedly threw punches at Wilson, landing at least one blow directly to Wilson’s face. Remember, Michael Brown was an enormous and powerful young man. He was fully capable to knocking Wilson out with a single blow. Brown nearly succeeded in obtaining control of Wilson’s firearm and using it against him. Finally, after momentarily retreating down the street, Michael Brown suddenly turned to rush at directly at Wilson. As Brown rapidly closed the distance between them, Wilson fired multiple shots until Brown finally collapsed just a few feet away.
These facts lead to the inescapable conclusion: because of his violent and lawless actions on August 9, 2014, Michael Brown deserved to die. This conclusion might seem quite harsh to some readers. However, it’s vital that we remember that the peaceful and orderly function of any society is built upon respect for the law. Without respect for the law and those who enforce the law, there can be no human flourishing. No functioning society can long tolerate open defiance of the law. Certainly, no functioning society can tolerate violent attacks upon her law keepers.
For the Black Lives Matter movement, Michael Brown remains a powerful symbol to this day. For BLM, he’s an innocent young black man gunned down by a racist cop. Some continue to propagate the lie that Michael Brown lost his life even though he held his hands up in surrender and plead for the police not to shoot. The truth is that Micheal Brown should be a very different kind of symbol. The kind of behavior he displayed is completely inimical to civilized society and a threat to everything we hold dear.
