Argumentative Essay : ' The Shooting Of African American Teenager '

In the Ferguson, Missouri case involving a white police officer (Darren Wilson) shooting an unarmed African American teenager (Michael Brown), the worldwide media immediately claimed that the officer shot Michael Brown for no reason besides the color of his skin. Many rumors and assumptions spread like wildfire after white police officer Darren Wilson was found innocent by a judge of having purpose to shoot Brown.

August 9, 2014 Michael Brown, a 18- year old black man was shot and killed, brutally at the hands of police officer Darren Wilson. Brown was leaving the gas station when he caught the attention of Wilson, who was supposed to be responding to another call. He thought Brown looked suspicious because he was a big, black “intimidating” man. Wilson “claimed” Brown was reaching for a gun so he fired twelve unnecessary shots at Brown while his hands were up. It turns out that Brown was not in possession of a weapon. Darren Wilson made up this allegation to make it seem like self defense, and to make Brown seem at fault for the shooting taking place. When Wilson went to trial the court found him not guilty. White police officers are not beingg held accountable so these police shootings are becoming more brutal and frequent. The Mike Brown

Racial injustice against people of colour is an immense, ongoing issue that has not only targeted lives but has also taken many innocent lives. In America, these racial divisions date back to the days of slavery, where black people were denied of their basic human rights because of discrimination. In present day, some individuals view America as a post-racial environment, due to such victories as electing a black president; but the brutal, fatal and unjust events in Ferguson, Missouri prove that these divisions are still present. On August 9th, 2014, an unarmed, 18 year old black teen was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. The events that led to the death of Michael Brown occurred on an early morning where Mr. Wilson stopped Michael Brown and a friend after leaving a convenience store. An altercation occurred which prompted Mr. Brown to flee and officer Wilson to begin shooting. The death of Mr. Brown caused the city to stand up against police brutality through peaceful protest, looting, and even violence, to gain justice for Mr. Brown and his family. As the protests grew, the police used military tactics such as, tear gas, to “maintain order” during the unrest of the city. In recent, news the grand jury decided that Officer Darren Wilson was not responsible for the death of Michael Brown, which led to a larger public outrage not only in America, but also across the

August 9th 2014, Ferguson Missouri, an unarmed black teen Michael Brown was shot, and fatally wounded by a white police officer by the name of Darren Wilson. As a direct result of deciding not to indict Officer Wilson, the black community was out raged! Riots, looting, and damage to businesses soon followed the judge’s ruling. The trial was unlike normal trials which were treated with more expedience in the process, the grand jury in Officer Wilson case met for three months and 25 days. (Buchanan, et. al. 2014)

The heated issue of police brutality and police officers violating civil rights has extensively covered media headlines for several years. Hundreds of people are killed every year by police officers, and many of these cases bring up issues of police brutality. More often than not, it is usually a white police officer and an african american offender encounter that sparks media attention. The shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri is just one of these cases that has caused a major divide in the United States. Michael Brown was fatally shot by Officer Wilson after an unfriendly encounter in the streets. Those who believe that Officer Wilson made the right decision in shooting Michael Brown, point to the fact that the grand jury chose not to indict him. Although Darren WIlson was not charged after the shooting of unarmed Michael Brown, some people believe that his actions were unlawful and he should have received some sort of punishment for his wrongdoing. Acknowledging all of the facts of the investigation, Officer Wilson did not act properly in the circumstances of the time.

Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed on August 2014, by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in Ferguson, Mo. Brown, an 18-year-old African-American was fatally shot and killed in the street shortly after robbing a convenience store. The disputed circumstances of the shooting of the unarmed young man sparked existing tensions in the majority-black community and law enforcements in Ferguson, Mo. The event received considerable attention in the U.S. and elsewhere, attracted protesters from outside the region, and generated a powerful debate about the relationship between law enforcement and African Americans and the police use of excessive force. The shooting prompted protests that shaken the area for weeks. The announcement of the grand jury that they decided not to indict Mr. Wilson set off another wave of protests. Many police officers have defended Wilson, pointing out that officers patrolling violent neighborhoods risk their lives, while demonstrators saw the case in terms of racism and police brutality. However, Brown’s killing and the following events in Ferguson became a national controversy touching on much larger national issues of race, justice, and police brutality. While the specifics of the Brown shooting involved is not clear, the situation would have been dramatically different had Wilson worn body camera which would have recorded the actual event. With new body camera technology

One of the most recent national conflicts deals with the shooting and killing of Michael Brown (a black man) by a white police officer ("Holder Announces Ferguson Probe, Review of St. Louis County Police Practices."). Sense Perception and Emotion should be considered when evaluating this situation at Ferguson. The sense perception of the witnesses as well as that of the two involved in the physical conflict needs to be taken into consideration. The police officer could have believed he was defended himself, and Brown could have thought the same. The witnesses and the surrounding population’s opinions should also be considered. St. Louis County is notorious for their crime rate and their protest/ riot like movements. These riots can probably be credited for getting this situation national attention because of the actions and the

One community that stands out the most for the conflict between law enforcement and their community is Ferguson, Missouri. On August 9, 2014 Darren Wilson, 28, a white Ferguson police officer fatally shot Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American male (McLaughlin). This case started one of the biggest uproar the nation has ever seen between community and law enforcement. When the incident first occurred there were many pieces of information missing to paint a scenario of how and what occurred between Brown and officer Wilson. Apparently Michael Brown was walking home late at night when officer Darren Wilson and Michael Brown got into a confrontation that lead to Wilson shooting Brown, the case goes

9 shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old who had scuffled with Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, came just a few weeks after Eric Garner — an unarmed black man accused of illegally selling cigarettes — died in a struggle with white New York City officers. Garner’s death was captured by an onlooker’s video. Brown’s was not, and word quickly spread that he had been shot while surrendering with his hands up — an assertion uncorroborated by state and federal investigations.

The only problem, the media was producing the wrong conclusion for the audience watching which turned George Zimmerman into a hated man nationally. However, testimony and evidence has proved that Zimmerman was defending himself against an angry Martin. On March 22, 2012 a nationwide coverage of a Florida rally featuring Rev. Al Sharpton, was used to build racial tension in order to force Zimmerman to be arrested. When the phone call between the dispatcher and Zimmerman was released to the public, Zimmerman mentioned Martin being black which caused the nation to think it was a racial prejudice that caused the events to occur. Ultimately, this case proves that the media reports very biased and can control what viewers believe. On August 9, 2014 Michael Brown, an 18 year old black man was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a 28 year old white Ferguson, Missouri police officer. Before the altercation Brown robbed a convenient store where he stole several packages of cigarillos and shoved the store clerk to the ground. The police were called and nearby Officer Darren Wilson caught up with Brown when an altercation between the two began for the control of Wilson’s gun. During the altercation the gun was fired and Brown ran, with Wilson in hot pursuit behind him. When Brown stopped running he turned and faced Wilson and started moving closer to Wilson. Wilson then pulled the trigger and shot Brown multiple times before killing

“When you need to make a decision, don’t let your emotions vote.”(Quote) In every published article, the author will use several literary devices or fallacies to present perspectives of events like the Michael Brown Case in order for the audience to persuade them to feel a certain way. Consequently, the audience can be influenced by these devices and may unfortunately ensue to the perpetuation of misinformation due to their ignorance of the whole picture.Within the article, Darren wilson explains why he killed Michael Brown, written by Terrence McCoy from The Washington post, it displays quotes that favors Wilson’s story in an innocent and pitiful tone to justify his actions by placing the blame on Brown. It regards Brown as the one who started the fight which led to the shot that Wilson fired and brought

According to an article published by The Washington Post, Michael Browns family preparing a lawsuit against Officer Darrin Wilson and City of Ferguson Police Department. Lowery (2012) also stated “Attorneys for the family said that they disagree with the DOJ’s conclusion that Wilson did not commit any crime and was reasonably afraid for his life when he fatally shot brown on Aug. 9.”(n.d). Furthermore, according to Lowery(2015) the family began preparations to sue after the Department of Justice findings found Officer Wilson’s actions justified. With such cases of police brutality or other excessive force claims can bring lawsuits or torts against police departments and the city. Brown’s family may use lethal force as a motivating factor.

On August 9, 2014 a white male police officer named Darren Wilson fatally shot an African-American male named Michael Brown to death in Ferguson, MO. An investigation was immediately launched through the collection of evidence from the crime scene, an autopsy of Michael Brown’s body, and interviews with witnesses. For several months following the shooting and after the Grand Jury met, there was immense public speculation over whether Officer Wilson justifiably shot in self-defense or in racially motivated cold blooded murder. The ballistic evidence collected from the crime scene and from the autopsy corroborated Wilson’s story that he was justified in what transpired that fateful afternoon.

1 A YouTube video called How Racist Are Ferguson Police? goes on to explain the mistreatment of young black males predominantly in the south. 2 Michael, or Mike, Brown was shot six times by a white police officer while he was unarmed. He was only the age of eighteen. This is one of many similar high-profile cases that played a large role in the racism of America today. During an investigation of the Ferguson PD a conclusion was made that they “established clear

Introduction – The article that I chose is from CNN titled “What Happened When Michael Brown Met Officer Darren Wilson” by Rachel Clarke and Christopher Lett (http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/08/us/ferguson-brown-timeline/). A couple of months ago, Ferguson, Missouri, was just a little suburb right outside the well-known city of St. Louis, but just recently, it seems that it is all you hear and read about. On the ninth day in August of the year two thousand and fourteen in Ferguson, Missouri, Officer Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed an unarmed black male by the name of Michael Brown at the young age of eighteen. The article talks about two different sides of the story; one from the witnesses point and the other from law enforcement and a family friend of Officer Wilson. As to every story, there are always three sides to every story. According to what the witnesses say, Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson, were walking down the street after stopping at a local Ferguson Market and Liquor store, when they were stopped by Officer Darren Wilson. Johnson told to CNN that Officer Wilson had stopped the two young men when walking home from the market and had told them to either “Get the f*** on the sidewalk” or “Get the f*** out of the street.” (Clarke and Lett 2014). The young men replied that they were only a short minute away from where they were heading and that they would shortly be out of the streets (Clarke and Lett 2014). Johnson’s side of the story