On Saturday, a Ferguson police officer shot and killed an unarmed 18-year old. At this very moment there is a small and peaceful demonstration — and cops have responded in riot gear.
Michael Brown was just 18. He was headed to college. He was Black.
On Saturday, a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, shot and killed Brown — who was unarmed and according to an eye-witness, Brown’s friend, had his hands raised in the air.
Police — who as of last night, MSNBC reported, have not talked with the witness — claim Brown was trying to grab the officer’s gun.
Since Saturday, there have been riots and looting, and the police — exceptionally militarized for a small town that spans just six square miles, has just 21,203 people, and one ZIP code — have shown up in riot gear, with SWAT teams.
Here’s how Business Insider described the scene earlier this week:
“Bring it. You fucking animals, bring it,” one police officer was caught on video telling protesters. In Ferguson and beyond, it seems that some police officers have shed the blue uniform and have put on the uniform and gear of the military, bringing the attitude along with it.
Summary of scary shit: Heavily militarized police presence in Ferguson. Protests banned. Journalists threatened. News helicopters barred.
— Radley Balko (@radleybalko) August 12, 2014
And here’s how the Huffington Post’s Justice Reporter, Ryan J. Reilly, just minutes ago described the scene — a “peaceful demonstration” with a “massive SWAT team.”
Watch:
Right now in Ferguson https://t.co/SHJoIPv4wv
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 13, 2014
SWAT overlooks protestors in #Ferguson. They’ve all moved to sidewalk. pic.twitter.com/peY5cOVBZl
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 13, 2014
I counted 70+ SWAT officers. Guns trained on crowds. Insanity. pic.twitter.com/stev2G6v4b
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 13, 2014
“This is not open for discussion.” — cop on loudspeaker, telling crowd to leave the area pic.twitter.com/KYaNaFbvzw
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 13, 2014
Crowd near site of shooting chants “hands up, don’t shoot.” #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/QjRW4Zqa0n
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 13, 2014
Overkill in #Ferguson. Officer won’t answer my question about why this is needed. pic.twitter.com/iSPsP1Rxa1
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 13, 2014
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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly noted the police as the Ferguson Police Dept. The police who are in force in Ferguson are from the St. Louis County Police Dept.