Attorneys for the family of the Ferguson, Mo., teen who was shot by a police officer last Saturday have accused the city’s police department of trying to “assassinate the character of their son” with the allegation that he was the primary suspect in a convenience store robbery that occurred minutes before he was shot.
“Michael Brown’s family is beyond outraged at the devious way the police chief has chosen to disseminate piece mil information in a manner intended to assassinate the character of their son, following such a brutal assassination of his person in broad daylight,” the family’s attorneys said in a Friday statement.
“The police strategy of attempting to blame the victim will not divert our attention, from being focused on the autopsy, ballistics report and the trajectory of the bullets that caused Michael’s death and will demonstrate to the world this brutal execution of an unarmed teenager,” the attorneys said.
The full statement is below.
“Michael Brown’s family is beyond outraged at the devious way the police chief has chosen to disseminate piece mil information in a manner intended to assassinate the character of their son, following such a brutal assassination of his person in broad daylight.
There is nothing based on the facts that have been placed before us that can justify the execution style murder of their child by this police officer as he held his hands up, which is the universal sign of surrender.
The prolonged release of the officer’s name and then the subsequent alleged information regarding a robbery is the reason why the family and the local community have such distrust for the local law enforcement agencies.
It is no way transparent to release the still photographs alleged to be Michael Brown and refuse to release the photographs of the officer that executed him.
The police strategy of attempting to blame the victim will not divert our attention, from being focused on the autopsy, ballistics report and the trajectory of the bullets that caused Michael’s death and will demonstrate to the world this brutal execution of an unarmed teenager.”
Benjamin L Crump, Esq.
Anthony D. Gray, Esq.
Daryl D. Parks, Esq.
Did the attorney really write ‘piece mil’?
I hope not (I noticed the same thing.)
So, according to Ferguson police being “accused” of stealing Cigars is an immediate Death Penalty Offense with no trial or due process (if you happen to be Black?)
Got it.
Sadly, yes. I clicked through to the attorney’s twitter feed, where the statement appears.
Could have been worse though - “peace mill”, for instance, which come to think of it just begs to be illustrated by a New Yorker cartoonist…
I think the police releasing the info of Brown allegedly “robbing” a store at the same time as releasing the officers name is an effort to have people talking about what Brown supposedly did instead of the officer. Now Brown’s character is on trial, not the cop’s.
It’s actually pretty devious on their part. And it’s working.
It worked when Zimmerman stalked and ultimately murdered Trayvon Martin too.