Ferguson — Can Darren Wilson’s Acts Be Justified?

WHS Lions Pride Original Story:

by Isabella Reese

It’s been a little over a month since the murder of the unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Since then, the police officer who murdered him, Darren Wilson, has not been arrested. In fact, he is on paid leave, his whereabouts are unknown, and all social media accounts tied to him have been deactivated.

In a previous article I’ve written, I detail to best of my ability what happened leading up to the death of Brown. (http://whslionspride.com/2014/08/ferguson-what-you-need-to-know/) I will be going off of what I said in this article to justify my opinion.

As a disclaimer, I am a white American citizen and have benefitted from the privilege that comes from that. Specifically, I can say that I have never feared police until recently. Because of that, I cannot even begin to fathom how hard another event like this is to the black community.

So, while I believe that Wilson needs to be brought to justice, the voices of those in Ferguson, who have to face police brutality as a regular part of life, are much more important than my voice. I am simply writing this article out of my solidarity and support for Ferguson citizens and the family of Brown.

And that leads into my question: are Wilson’s actions able to be justified?

The answer is no.

Brown could have been the most high he’s ever been in his life and what Wilson did could not be justified. Brown could have stolen 50 cigarillos and what Wilson did could not be justified. Even if he may or may not have committed a petty crime, there is nothing in this entire world that can justify Wilson’s actions.

Brown had his hands up, kneeling which can be recognized as a sign of surrender. That apparently wasn’t enough for Wilson, as he shot Brown six times.

He could have handcuffed Brown; he could have tackled him and taken him to his cop car. He could have even tazed Brown, but he didn’t. He shot him six times and murdered him.

No, Brown didn’t attack the officer.

No, Brown didn’t grab the officer’s gun.

No, Brown wasn’t a thug.

Brown is and was innocent and deserved a fair trial that he died before getting. He was denied his rights as an American, and treated as if he was something less than human.

Wilson is not to be defended.