Friday, August 22, 2014

Anarchy in Ferguson Missouri

While black leaders in Ferguson, Missouri, call for a black replacement for the white prosecutor because he is white; while the U.S. Department of Justice floods Ferguson with Federal Agents sent there on behalf of U.S. Attorney General to make a case against the officer who was involved in the shooting; while Eric Holder says he sympathizes with the rioters because he too is a black man; while Obama plays more golf; looters in Ferguson are being met with little police resistance.

For those who want to know the importance of the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution, the Bill f Rights, it boils down to protecting one's self and property, a life's work, -- and that is what store owners say they are forced to do with rioting and looting out of hand in that city.

Yes, store owners now have to protect their businesses with their own guns simply because the government -- neither city, state, or federal -- are there to protect them.

"I think the first message is to remind all law enforcement that they are hired to serve and protect and if they’re going to sit back and watch looting, they're not serving us; they’re not protecting us," Pastor Robert White told the station.

A reporter from the station tweeted that police cars were seen driving past some of the stores being looted and did not respond.

Two store owners, standing outside their business holding guns, said that when they called 911 for help -- they were sent from one police agency to another, and got absolutely no response.

Reporters have talked to many of the businesses in Ferguson not under siege and found many with guns doing what the police and National Guard troops will not do.

In fact, one armed store owner told the local TV station that police were lined up just a couple of blocks from the looting -- but did not do anything to try to stop it.

The police stood and watched as looters made off with large boxes from the stores.

"There's no police," he said. "We trusted the police to keep it peaceful; they didn't do their job."

Former St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch tweeted: "You did not see "police restraint" overnight. You saw police reluctant to act. We cannot keep stoning the keepers at the gate."

While that sounds wonderfully poetic, those "keepers at the gate" are getting paid and must live up to a higher standard than just giving up.

If they will not act, replace them with officers who will.

Just before midnight, some in what had been a large and rowdy but mostly well-behaved crowd broke into a convenience store that police accused 18-year-old Michael Brown of robbing minutes before he was fatally shot by an officer, and began looting it.

Some in the crowd of about 200 began throwing rocks and other objects at police, one officer was hurt but details on the injury were not immediately available.

It was reported that police backed off to try and "ease" the tension.

Of course no arrests were made -- which means that those who sacked that store went Scott free.

Being more worried about the safety of their officers than those they are sworn to protect seems the way things are going now in Ferguson.

"We had to evaluate the security of the officers there and also the rioters," said Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson. "We just felt it was better to move back."

The violence erupted after a day that included authorities identifying the officer who fatally shot the 300 lb Micheal Brown on August 9th.

Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson released documents alleging that Brown stole a $48.99 box of cigars from the convenience store - a strong-armed robbery.

The released surveillance video shows a man wearing a ball cap, shorts and white T-shirt grabbing a much shorter man by his shirt near the store's door. A police report alleges Brown grabbed the man who had come from behind the store counter and "forcefully pushed him back" into a display rack.

The problem for Officer Wilson is that he supposedly did not know that Brown was a robbery suspect at the time of the shooting.

Brown and a companion were stopped "because they were walking down the middle of the street blocking traffic," Jackson said.

Police said they found evidence of the stolen merchandise on Brown's body.

Wilson is a six-year police veteran -- two in neighboring Jennings and four in Ferguson -- and had no previous complaints filed against him, Jackson said, describing him as "a gentle, quiet man" who had been "an excellent officer."

Wilson has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting.

St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch said it could be weeks before the investigation wraps up.

But wait, some of the black leaders in that area want Bob McCulloch replaced
because he's white -- no surprise there.

Also no surprise was Chief Jackson's decision to set the record straight that Brown committed the robbery and released the surveillance video that proves as much, angered attorneys for Brown's family who were trying to depict their son in a favorable light.

The Justice Department confirmed in a statement that FBI agents had conducted several interviews with witnesses as part of a civil-rights investigation into Brown's death.

In the days ahead, the Federal Agents plan to canvass the neighborhood where the shooting happened supposedly seeking more information -- but what kind of information are they looking for since the only eyewitness has fled.

The only eyewitness other than the officer in the shooting of Michael Brown has a warrant out for his arrest.

The 22-year-old Dorian Johnson, who was with Brown when he was shot, has a warrant out for his arrest for stealing in Jefferson County, Missouri from 2011.

Now there, there is someone that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will certainly believe -- not for what comes out of his mouth but because of the color of his skin!

Dorian Johnson was also charged in 2011 with lying to police but I'm sure none of that will matter when they find him.

The Municipal Court of Jefferson City confirmed that Johnson had been arrested June 24, 2011 for allegedly stealing a parcel.

Johnson was also accused of lying about his identity and age. He was charged with larceny with an added count of false identification.

Johnson was scheduled for trial on July 31, 2013 but did not show. Because of that, Johnson has a warrant for his extradition if he is arrested in a 50-mile radius of Jefferson City.

Police have said the officer was pushed into his squad car and then physically assaulted during a struggle over his weapon.

At least one shot was fired inside the car. The struggle then spilled onto the street, where Brown was shot multiple times. The 300 lb. Micheal Brown was unarmed.

Johnson has told reporters that the officer ordered him and Brown out of the street, then tried to open his door so close to the pair that it "ricocheted" back, apparently upsetting the officer.

Johnson said the officer grabbed Brown's neck and tried to pull him into the car before brandishing his weapon.

Johnson said Brown started to run and the officer pursued him, firing multiple times. Johnson and another witness said Brown had his hands raised when the officer fired.

Contrary to what the credibility of Johnson and others have demonstrated, the results of two autopsies have shown that Brown's hands could not have been raised when he was shot.   

But none of that matters, as the anarchy in Ferguson continues.  

And yes, that's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa

1 comment:

  1. Don't get me wrong. I WANNA visit Missouri. I just don't think I'll ever visit Ferguson. Sure, I might visit St. Louis or Branson but not Ferguson.

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