Review of the Witnesses Being Used to Allegedly “Prove” Darren Wilson’s Guilt

On Saturday, August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, MO, 18 year old Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson, MO police officer, Darren Wilson. On that

tragic Saturday afternoon, reports began to come in that a young unarmed black man had been shot to death by a white police officer, while innocently walking from a convenience store to his grandmother’s apartment.

The headlines read – “Michael Brown shooting: ‘They killed another young black man in America.'” The implication here was that,”They,” – meaning white people – killed another black person for no other reason other than race. The Washington Post reported Brown’s uncle, Charles Ewing, as having described Mike Brown as a “gentle giant,” which was then used by multiple corporate media outlets to describe 18 year-old, Michael Brown. To the corporate media, Michael Brown had now become the latest symbol of racial injustice.

This “racially motivated” narrative began within moments after the shooting, before any details had been confirmed. Unfortunately, this narrative still thrives today, as the following statement by Ferguson resident, Rico Like, speaking to Amy Goodwin of Democracy Now!, on August 21, 2014 attests:

“He fell on his knees, like, don’t shoot. He [Wilson] shot him anyway, in the eye, then in the head.”

From the onset, there has been a frenzied whirlwind of conflicting, and often times false, information circulating across social networks and corporate media outlets, concerning the death of Mike Brown. People from both sides continually pick the snippets of information that they need to validate their preconceived notions, and thus claim to “know” what happened.

But, when one takes the time to decipher the statements made by alleged witnesses, along with the few facts that have been made available, it becomes crystal clear that, in truth, little is actually known.

Still, many people firmly believe that Mike Brown was shot execution style, for absolutely no reason. This narrative purportedly rests upon the public statements made by five key witnesses:

1. Tiffany Mitchell
   2. Piaget Crenshaw
   3. Dorian Johnson
2. James McKnight
3. Michael Brady

The following is an essential review of what these people have actually said, and how that stacks-up with what little physical evidence we have access to.

In my reconstruction of events, I use ONLY original material; direct public statements and quotes, in an organized manner, to hopefully give a clear view of what each eyewitness has said concerning three critical junctures during the events of that day. What I have attempted to do, is extract the essential relevant content out of a morass of information, and place that information into these three junctures:

A. The first moments
B. The first shot
C. The final moments

Regardless of the reasons as to why Wilson shot Brown, we still have a SERIOUS problem within our police forces across America. The cops are truly out of hand at every level, in small rural towns, and in every major city. If you are poor and have an encounter with the police, there is a good chance that you will be violated, and that your civil liberties will be forfeited. If you are black and poor, the abuse is even worse. Now that we live in the age of the camera and social media, the Gentry world is getting its first look into how life is for the majority of people.

Tiffany Mitchell – Tiffany Mitchell was picking up Piaget Crenshaw for work when she first noticed Brown and officer Wilson “tussling through the window.”

Here is a review of Mitchell’s statements concerning three critical junctures during the events of that day: The first moments, the first shot, and, the final moments.

The First Moments

Speaking to MSNBC’s, Lawrence O’Donnell, August 14, 2014

When Tiffany Mitchell was asked if she witnessed Brown closing the door on Wilson, and then attacking Wilson through the window, she replied, “No. I didn’t see the initial, whenever they pulled up on each oth- whenever the cop pulled up to them, but, what I saw was Michael trying to pull away from the cop through the window.”

This means that Tiffany Mitchell is NOT a witness to the first moments of the encounter between Brown and Wilson. Tiffany Mitchell arrived on the scene after events had already begun to unfold.

The First Shot

Speaking to CNN’s, Don Lemon, on August 13th, 2014, Tiffany Mitchell stated that:

“I saw the officer [Wilson] pulling him [Brown] in, and I saw him [Brown] trying to pull away. I pulled out my phone to try and get a video because it just didn’t look right, like, I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but I know it didn’t look right for someone to be wrestling with the police through the police window. But I didn’t get the video because a shot was fired through the window so I tried to get out of the way.”

When asked about the first shot, Mitchell responded, “When I heard the first shot, they were still like at a tug-of-war stance, like he [Wilson] was pulling in and he [Brown] was pulling out, and the shot came through the window.”
When asked if she could see Brown’s hands when the first shot was fired, she stated, “Yeah, they were up against the SUV pulling away.”
This means that, according to Mitchell’s statement, Brown was facing Wilson when the first shot went off.

The Final Moments 

Speaking to CNN’s, Don Lemon, on August 13th, 2014 Tiffany Mitchell stated that: 

“The police gets out of his vehicle, and he [Wilson] follows behind him [Brown] shooting, and, um… the kid’s body jerked as if he was hit from behind, and he turned around and put his hands up like this [raises hands], and the cop continued to fire until he just dropped down to the ground, and his face just smacks the concrete.”

Speaking to MSNBC’s, Lawrence O’Donnell, August 14, 2014, Mitchell was asked the following:

O’Donnell’s Question: “When he [Brown] turned around and faced him, and put his hands up, was he [Brown] standing still at that point?”

Mitchell’s answered: “Yes.”

O’Donnell’s Question: “Do you know how many more shots you think the officers fired after he stood and put his hands up?”

Mitchell answered: “Several.”

Recap of Tiffany Mitchell’s statements

A. The first moments: Tiffany Mitchell was not a witness to the first moments of the encounter between Brown and Wilson.

B. The first shot: Mitchell stated that the first shot was fired from inside the car, and that Brown was facing the window with both hands pressed against the SUV.

C. The final moments: Mitchell claimed that Brown was surrendering when he was shot. Mitchell stated that Brown was standing still with his hands raised when the final shots were fired.

If this is an accurate account of what happened, then officer Darren Wilson should be charged and tried accordingly.

Piaget Crenshaw – Ferguson resident, Piaget Crenshaw, was about to leave for work when she received a phone call from eyewitness, Tiffany Mitchell. Crenshaw recorded video of the aftermath.

Here is a review of Crenshaw’s statements concerning three critical junctures during the events of that day: The first moments, the first shot, and the final moments.

The First Moments

On August 18, 2014, Crenshaw spoke with CNN’s New Day host, Michaela Pereira, where she had this to say concerning the first events that she witnessed:

Question: “Take me back to the moment when you see a tussle at the police cruiser. What was going on, what happened?”

Crenshaw replied: “Okay, well from my point of view, I could not tell exactly what was going on, but it just looked as if, um, he [Wilson] was trying to pull him [Brown], almost into the car… It just looked like he [Wilson] was trying to do such, and you know, Brown being a bigger fella, that didn’t seem to be workin’, so of course he [Brown] got away.”

Crenshaw also appeared in another CNN interview, along with fellow eyewitness, Tiffany Mitchell. In this interview she stated, “Um, when I first looked out of my window, it was because Tiffany was calling me to come down, you know, we were on our way to work… I actually saw with my own eyes, the conflict starting with the confrontation at the window, it just looked like it was a tussle, some struggle going on, I couldn’t really tell from my angle.”

Just like Tiffany Mitchel, Piaget Crenshaw is NOT a witness to the first moments of the encounter between Brown and Wilson. Piaget Crenshaw noticed the scene unfolding after events were well underway, and admittedly did not have a clear view of the events as they unfolded, as she stated to CNN:

“…I couldn’t see that closely from my balcony, I could actually see the opposite side of the car, but he was outside of the car, and it just looked like a struggle was goin’ on.”

The First Shot

On August 13, 2014, Piaget Crenshaw appeared on CNN along with fellow witness, Tiffany Mitchell. This is what Crenshaw had to say concerning the first shots:

“…but then I saw the police just get out and chase him… down the street and shoot him down.”

During the interview on CNN’s New Day show, Crenshaw stated that the first time she heard shots was when “He [Wilson] got out of his van and started chasin’ the boy.” Crenshaw concluded by saying, “shots fired, I’m hearing shots fired.”

When asked directly by CNN if the first shot she heard had come from inside the police car, Crenshaw initially answered, “Yes ma’am,” but when pressed further and asked if she could tell who had fired the first shot, this is what Crenshaw had to say:

“Ah, well, I, when I looked out the window, I saw the original tussle going on, I quickly just turned to grab my purse, tried to go run to the other window, and at that time, it was over with, I heard the shots fired, and I saw the hole with the building in it, and Michael was running down the street at that time.”

In other words, Crenshaw didn’t see a damn thing, and hasn’t a clue as to where the first shot was fired from.

The Final Moments

During an interview with CNN, Crenshaw had the following to say concerning her account of the final moments:

“At the end, he [Brown] just turned around, after I’m guessing he felt the bullet graze his arm, he turned around and then was shot multiple times.”

Recap of Piaget Crenshaw’s statements

A. The first moments: Like Tiffany Mitchell, Piaget Crenshaw is NOT a witness to the first moments of the encounter between Brown and Wilson.

B. The first shot: Crenshaw didn’t actually see the first shot that was fired, and does not appear to be a very reliable witness under close examination. I’m not saying she’s intentionally being deceptive, but it appears to me that she was moving about inside the house, and is weaving what she did see, with other accounts that she heard after the fact.  While headlines often claim that Crenshaw was an eyewitness to all of the events, she obviously witnessed very little when you look closely at what she has actually said.

C. The final moments: Crenshaw has never offered any detailed specifics in the interviews that I’ve been able to find, only that Brown was surrendering and facing the officer when he was shot multiple times.

Dorian Johnson – Dorian Johnson was the closest eyewitness to the events of that day out of the five leading witnesses.

Here is a review of Johnson’s statements concerning three critical junctures during the events of that day: The first moments, the first shot, and the final moments.

The First Moments –

Dorian Johnson’s first public statement was widely recorded by multiple news networks. In this account, Johnson admitted that he and Brown were walking down the middle of the street when officer Wilson pulled up and told them to “Get the fuck on the sidewalk.”

According to Johnson, Wilson did not stop Brown, but rather “went about his way,” before Wilson “reversed his truck” and came back. According to Johnson, “He [Wilson] tried to thrust his door open but we were so close to it that it ricochets off us and it bounced back to him. And I guess that, you know, ah, it got him a little upset. And at that time he reached out the window – he didn’t get out of the car – he just reached his arm out the window and grabbed my friend around his neck… as he was trying to choke my friend, and he was trying to get away, and the officer then reached out, and grabbed his arm to pull him into the car.”

Johnson told MSNBC’s Political Nation with Rev. Al Sharpton, that after Wilson yelled at Brown and himself to “get the fuck on the sidewalk,” Johnson thought that Wilson was driving away, as he stated: “…fixin’ to drive off, but then ah, we hear the car stop, we hear it reverse, but it reversed very rapidly, like, he stepped on the gas pedal fast.”

According to Johnson, Wilson reached out the window with his left hand and grabbed Brown. Both Johnson and Brown had Cigarillos in their hands, as Johnson recounted: “Mike’s hands are filled with Cigarillos… ‘cause we have Cigarillos in our hands, so his hands are filled, his hands are not free.”
After struggling with the officer for a few seconds, Brown turned to Johnson and handed him his Cigarillos. Johnson recollected: “… He’s turning around now, at this moment he hands me the Cigarillos like, he says to me ‘hold these,’ and I grab them out of his hands.”

The First Shot

During Dorian Johnson’s first public statement directly after the events in Ferguson, Mo. he stated that the first shot was fired while Wilson was still in the car. here’s an excerpt of Johnson’s account from his first public statement:

“He pulled out his weapon, his weapon was drawn, and he said, ‘I’ll shoot you’ or, ‘I’m going to shoot’ and in the same moment, the first shot was went off. And we looked at him, he was shot, and there was blood comin’ from him, and we took off runnin’. ”

Johnson told  NBC News  on August 13, 2014, that,”The second time he [Wilson] says ‘I’ll shoot,’ it wasn’t even a second later before the gun just went off, and the officer let go.”

Johnson told MSNBC’s Political Nation with Rev. Al Sharpton that the first shot came from Wilson while he still had a grip on Brown from inside the car. According to Johnson, Brown was struck in the right arm and bleeding.

“It was almost like the officer didn’t mean to shoot him [Brown], but he was trying to stop us from, committing, no crime at all,” Jonson also stated.

The Final Moments

Johnson gave this account of the final moments during his first public statement:

“His weapon was all ready drawn when he got out of the car. He shot again, and once my friend felt that shot, he turnt around, he put his hands in the air, and he started to get down, but the officer still approached with his weapon drawn and he fired seven more shots.”

Johnson gave the following account to NBC News  on August 13, 2014:

“I’m lookin’, I’m watchin’ the officer, and he’s perusing my friend now, then he fired another shot, it stuck my friend in the back; then my friend stopped running, his hands immediately went into the air – and he turnt around towards the officer face-to-face.  He started to tell the officer that he was unarmed and that, ‘you should stop shooting me’. Before he could get his second sentence out, the officer fired several more shots into his head and chest area.”

Johnson told MSNBC’s, Chris Hayes, that Brown did not “initially assault the officer” and that he did not see Brown touch the officer in “any type of threatening way.”

Recap of Dorian Johnson’s statements

A. The first moments: According to Johnson, there was indeed a physical confrontation between Brown and Wilson.

B. The first shot: According to Johnson, the first shot was fired from inside the car. Brown was struck in the right arm and bleeding.

C. The final moments: According to Johnson, Brown was surrendering with his hands in the air when the final shots were fired by Wilson.

Additional Witnesses: 

Two other witnesses claim Brown was moving towards Wilson when the final shots rang out.

James McKnight, speaking to The New York Times stated that Brown was moving towards Wilson when he was shot: “I saw him stumble toward the officer, but not rush at him.”

CNN’s Anderson Cooper talked to Michael Brady about what he witnessed during the final moments of the Michael Brown shooting. According to Brady, rather than having his hands raised in the air when the final shots were fired, Brown had his hands down, and was moving towards officer Wilson: “Like I said before, he [Brown] went down… and he took like one or two steps going toward the officer.”

Additional Facts:

Strong-Arm Robbery: As well as being on the “verge of starting college,” Mike Brown, the “gentle giant,” was also just moments outside of having committed a strong-arm robbery prior to the shooting, as this surveillance video clearly shows:

Incident report filed by Ferguson PD on the convenience store robbery which occurred right before the fatal shooting of Michael Brown:

Ferguson Incident Report

Wilson’s Eye Injury: An alleged medical report shows that officer Wilson received treatment for an injury that he says he received at the hands of Mike Brown, i.e., that he was punched in the face. The extent of Wilson’s injury is a matter of debate.

Private Autopsy Report: Dr. Michael Baden, who conducted the private autopsy, stated that the fatal shot was to the top of Brown’s  head, as Brown was leaning forward. According to Baden, this forward leaning posture could be due to Brown’s surrendering, or, due to his charging.

Despite reports claiming that this autopsy verifies the gentle giant theory, in actuality the autopsy does no such thing. Little definitive information was acquired from this autopsy, outside of the number of shots that hit Mike Brown, the places of their impact, and some information on the possible distance. This autopsy report also contradicts Johnson, who stated that Brown was shot in the back as he attempted to escape from the officer.

Ferguson Police Department Offense/Incident report on Mike Brown Strong-arm Robbery 

Purported Mike Brown Witness Audio – I’m not 100% sure this is legitimate, but there does seem to be someone in the background who says:

“Then the next thing I know he coming back toward him cus – the police had his gun drawn already on him – The police kept dumpin on him, and I’m thinking the police kept missing – he like – be like – but he kept coming toward him.”

You have to check this out: Higher Quality Mike Brown Shooting Video

A different video, same audio. Start this at 6:39 for a clearer listen. It does in fact sound like an eyewitness describing Mike Brown running at Wilson, as Wilson continued to fire.

“Then the next thing I know he coming back toward him cus – the police had his gun drawn already on him – The police kept dumpin on him, and I’m thinking the police kept missing – he like – be like – but he kept coming toward him.”

8:40 “I tell ya, I heard like eight shoots, like Boom! Like Boom-Boom!

8:59 “…and he kept comin'”