Last summer’s shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer touched off months of nationwide upheaval. There was rioting, looting and violence in the wake of Michael Brown’s death, which many believed was the result of pure racism by a white police officer.
That officer, Darren Wilson, left his position with the Ferguson police force and was in physical danger because of a narrative that now appears to be largely fabricated.
“Hands up, don’t shoot!” became the rallying cry of thousands of protesters across the U.S. The Justice Department has now concluded, based upon extensive forensic evidence and evaluation of eyewitness testimony, that Michael Brown fought with Officer Wilson, reached for the officer’s gun and charged Wilson, and was not trying to surrender when he was shot dead.
The report issued by Justice concluded that witnesses who claimed Brown was in the process of surrendering when he was shot “were not credible.” Those now discredited claims were “inconsistent with the physical and forensic evidence,” while some of the witnesses contradicted others’ and even their own testimony at various times.
The Justice Department cleared Officer Wilson of civil rights violations. The decision was announced Wednesday, March 4. The results of the DOJ investigation echoed results that the Missouri state grand jury issued on Nov. 24, when it announced its decision not to indict Wilson.
The Justice Department said “forensic evidence and other witnesses backed up the account of Officer Wilson, who said Mr. Brown fought with him, reached for his gun, then charged at him,” the New York Times reported. The Justice Department concluded that Officer Wilson feared for his life when he shot Michael Brown.