I have mentioned now in a couple diaries, including the one on Ben Stein's comments that the Strong-Arm Robbery didn't take place. I've gotten some push back in private messaging that I should correct that, but at this point I'm not exactly sure I should.
Although it wasn't supposedly part of why Officer Wilson originally stopped the pair, and I think as a result it isn't relevant and isn't a justification for the shooting, in fairness and honesty, this is a point that should be explored.
Let's start at the beginning, this is how the story was originally presented. Here is the video that Ferguson PD released which shows the view of the Market door only.
We can see Dorian and Michael enter at 00:29. The confrontation takes place at 1:19 showing the clerk attempt to block Michael from exiting and placing his hand on him, Michael grabs him pushes him aside, the clerk cowers back and Michael exits following Dorian who has already gone.
This is what we were shown on the news and in various reports but the tape goes on. At 2:07 you can see Michael approaching the counter from the opposite angle. He walks up to it and stands with his hands behind his back. At one point he hands a box from the counter to Dorian. At 2:34 he reaches forward and appears to grab a box of Swishers, and backs up suddenly. Two objects drop to the floor. He then moves forward and puts the Swishers in his hand back on the Counter, and Dorian places the box in his hands back on the counter as well. Michael picks up the two objects that have fallen as the clerk pulls back all that they've left on the counter. They exit.
What I honestly can't personally tell, but may be the case, is did they leave a payment on the counter along with the additional Swishers? Maybe my eyes aren't good enough, what do you guys think?
After the release of the first portion of the tape, without the second portion except for the bit where Michael "reached" for the box, it was then said that Dorian Johnson had "admitted" to participating in the robbery with Michael, you can find that claim in various stories even from the AP.
http://www.ksdk.com/...
FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) - The friend who was with Michael Brown when he was shot and killed by a police officer near St. Louis over the weekend is reportedly confirming that he and Brown had taken part in the theft of cigars from a convenience store that day.
That word comes from the attorney for Dorian Johnson, speaking to MSNBC. Police in Ferguson had earlier announced that Brown was suspected of taking cigars from the convenience store in what was described as a "strong-arm robbery."
This reported echoed around the web like a Richochet.
http://weaselzippers.us/...
The problem is that Dorian's Attorney didn't actually say that. What he said is that they had "taken some cigarillos" - immediately after he corrected himself from saying they had "robbed" the store. Here's the clip from CNN.
Notice that toward the end of this he describes Dorian's interview with the FBI where they tell them, "We already know everything you're likely to tell us. As far as we know you did nothing wrong, they are no charges pending against you."
I've been unable to independently confirm that either Dorian or his attorney ever "admitted to a Robbery".
Here's how Crooks and Liars describes the additional video.
Supposedly, the video shows Brown robbing the store, taking a box of cigars. However, the attorney for Ferguson Market says that it was not anyone from the store that called police to report a robbery. In fact, a customer called to report what he viewed as a robbery.
...
While it is difficult to be 100% certain, the video appears to show Brown purchasing some cigars, but lacking the money for the amount he wished to buy. Brown seems to purchase some cigarillos, pay for them, attempt to buy more, then replace the ones he could not afford.
The confrontation between Brown and the clerk may have been because Brown impatiently reached across the counter. Perhaps it was wrong for Brown to shove the employee (it is impossible to know what words were exchanged) but this footage seems to exonerate him. It is important to note that Brown only shoved the clerk after he put his hands on him.
In any case, neither the employee nor the store owner called law enforcement-something that would surely happen if Brown committed a "strong-arm robbery."
It's also note worthy that Dorian has not been charged by Ferguson or St. Louis County PD in any alledged store robbery. Is that because he's a Federal witness now? Is it because there was no Robbery and they paid for what they "took", or was it because the store owner is feeling too intimidated by the community to file charges? Do they need the owners cooperation if they think the video proves what they originally claimed it proves?
Here's another interview with Dorian after Micheal Brown's Funeral, where he states that he didn't previously mention what happened at the market because "it wasn't relevant".
Here's an interview with Michael Baker who saw everything from the tussle beside the police car to Micheal Brown's final steps and the fatal shots, which addresses the question of whether or not Michael Brown "charged" or "bum rushed" the Officer as his last act.
Baker states that Brown was "falling, stumbling to the ground" as the final shots rang out. Not "charging", not "bum rushing".
So was Michael Brown a vicious robbing thug who simply didn't know how to "behave right" with the police, or a murder victim who was callously shot down in the street after an unfair and invalid theft accusation?
Vyan