Michael Brown’s Stepdad: ‘Wrong’ To Blame Me For Unrest In Ferguson

Ferguson police are looking into whether Louis Head, Michael Brown's stepfather, meant to incite a riot with his comments after a grand jury announced its decision not to indict white police Officer Darren Wilson in Brown's death.
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Michael Brown’s stepfather said Wednesday that it was “wrong” for people to blame him for the unrest that followed a grand jury’s decision not to indict the white police officer who fatally shot Brown.

Ferguson, Mo. police Chief Thomas Jackson said Tuesday that his department and other law enforcement agencies were looking into whether Brown’s stepfather, Louis Head, meant to incite a riot when he yelled “Burn this motherfucker down! Burn this bitch down!” after the grand jury’s announcement. The New York Times caught the outburst on camera.

Head told CNN that he was very emotional at the time, but still shouldn’t have screamed out those words at such a tense moment.

“It was wrong and I humbly apologize to all of those who read my pain and anger as a true desire for what I want for our community,” he said.

“But to place blame solely on me for the conditions of our community, and country, after the grand jury decision goes way too far and is as wrong as the decision itself,” he added, as quoted by CNN. “To declare a state of emergency and send a message of war, and not peace, before a grand jury decision was announced is also wrong.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Leave It To Beejer (He obviously looked through his sock drawer and found one that hadn’t been banned. Before today, this sock hadn’t been used since June)

  2. So, Wilson can be protected by the Fourth Amendment because an “objectively reasonable” view of his actions stem from his innate racist fear of demonic black people.

    …But when some black kid gets shot by a cop, suddenly it becomes unreasonable for the parents to be given some leeway in expressing their frustration, and legitimate fear that their kids are being killed with impunity.

    Got it.

  3. Avatar for jw1 jw1 says:

    Actually? chickfillay just came off the last ban.
    As is Hodnobitch’s M.O.-- he’ll use a known Beej sock to go ‘flammable’–
    cuz he knows the next one will be a ban until 2042-- or thereabouts.

    Everybody get your Gallagher-sheet-plastic ready!
    Someone’s been in his ex-wife’s medicine cabinet again.

    jw1

  4. J’accuse! You are neither a commie, nor a mommie.

    Or

    Commenter, I served with Commie Mommies. I knew Commie Mommies. Commie Mommies were friends of mine. Commenter, you’re no Commie Mommie.

  5. No, that’s not it. African-Americans challenging authority is against the law. Sometimes punishable by death, no trial needed.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

8 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for jw1 Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for jaligard Avatar for carlosfiance Avatar for bignose Avatar for ottnott Avatar for occamsrazor2 Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for CommieMommie Avatar for themeansaretheend Avatar for 62fender

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: