When police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Ferguson, Missouri teenager Mike Brown on August 9, Brown's family and the surrounding community repeatedly begged for answers as to how and why this happened in the form of a basic police report. Fifty days later, the police announced they
wouldn't release a report at all.
For 75 straight days since the murder of Mike Brown, the St. Louis County medical examiner refused to release his full autopsy report, the police refused to release any police official reports from Darren Wilson, and it was always said that this was done for the integrity of the case.
Suddenly, though, in the past few days, the integrity of the case has all but been thrown out of the window and sensitive leaks are being reported from the grand jury in the Darren Wilson case, from the St. Louis County medical examiner's office, and from the federal government in their own investigation.
Whatever confidence protestors had left that anything resembling justice for Mike Brown would happen, has been lost. What follows is a growing account of the leaks from this week. Protestors and police chiefs alike believe it's all being done to prepare people for a announcement coming soon that Darren Wilson will not be indicted.
Follow below the fold for more.
Friday, October 17: The New York Times confirms key details from the case from a source within the federal investigation.
Tuesday, October 21: Mike Brown's autopsy report from the St. Louis County medical examiner is leaked to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In spite of the red stamp on the corner of each page declaring that it's not for secondary use, it is now being widely read and debated by every concerned pundit.
Wednesday, October 22: The Washington Post reports that seven or eight African-American eyewitnesses confirm Darren Wilson's account of events. Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post confirmed to me today that these details were learned through a trusted source inside of the grand jury proceedings.
Wednesday, October 22: Chris King, managing editor of the St. Louis American confirms that a federal official and a local police officer offered him the above leaks.
Less angry at what the leaks reveal than increasingly frustrated
at the leaks themselves, local protestors are suspicious of the of true purpose of the leaks, which all appear one-sided, pointing to an attempt to smear Brown and back up Wilson's account.
For instance, no information has been released about testimony from two construction workers who say they saw Brown surrender with his hands up.
No information has been released about the grand jury testimony of Tiffany Mitchell, who reported seeing the entire scene unfold from just feet away.
Ultimately, these don't appear to be accidental leaks at all, but deliberately timed releases with a biased motive in mind.