Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
Ferguson Police Officer Exonerated in the Shooting of Michael Brown
Ferguson Police Officer Exonerated in the Shooting of Michael Brown
Jul 2, 2026 10:51 PM

Since last August, federal prosecutors and civil rights investigators have been investigating whether the killing of Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson was a civil rights violation. In an 86-page report released Wednesday, the Justice Department cleared the officerof any criminal wrongdoing or violation of civil rights in the shooting. Here are some highlights from that report.

• FBI agents independently canvassed more than 300 residences to locate and interview additional witnesses. Federal investigators also collected cell phone data, searched social media sites, and followed up on tips from citizens in order to investigate all sources of information. (p. 4)

• “The evidence, when viewed as a whole, does not support the conclusion that Wilson’s use of deadly were “objectively unreasonable” under the Supreme Court’s definition.” (p. 5)

• The investigation uncovered forensic evidence that confirms Brown reached into the police officer’s vehicle and punched and grabbed Wilson. Brown also grabbed Wilson’s firearm and attempted to wrestle control of it from the police officer, suffering a bullet wound to the hand during the altercation and leaving DNA evidence inside the vehicle. (p. 6).

• Brown was not shot in the back and there is no evidence he was shot while running away. Brown ran 180 feet away before turning back and advancing on Wilson. Wilson fired a total of 12 shots, 2 in the vehicle and 10 on the roadway, but only hit Brown 6-8 times, including the shot to the hand. Brown fell to the ground with his uninjured hand balled up in his waistband. (Wilson testified he thought Brown was reaching into his waistband for a weapon.) Evidence proves that Wilson did not touch Brown’s body after the shooting. (p. 7)

• All credible witnesses established that Brown was moving toward Wilson—“charging”, “moving slowly,” “running,” etc.—when he was shot. Although some witnesses state Brown held his hands up at shoulder level with his palms facing outward for a brief moment, these same witnesses describe Brown as dropping his hands and “charging” Wilson. (p. 8)

• Within 12 minutes of the shooting, some members of the growing crowd became increasingly hostile in response to chants of “[W]e need to kill these mother****ers,” referring to the police officers on the scene. Gunfire was reported in the area within an hour of the Wilson-Brown incident. Crime scene detectives had to stop processing the scene an hour later when reports of what sounded like automated weapons gunfire in the area and individuals in the crowd encroaching on the scene chanting “Kill the Police.” (This was documented on cell phone video.) (p. 8)

• Wilson’s account of the incident was consistent with the autopsy, DNA evidence, ballistic results, and eyewitness accounts. (p. 9)

• Several witnesses who saw the shooting and stated that it was justified initially refused to cooperate because they feared reprisals by their neighbors for corroborating Wilson’s account. One of those witnesses claims Wilson told Brown to “stop” or “get down” at least ten times, but Brown refused. Another one of the scared witnesses later told investigators “a lot of people saw that it was justified” and “I know police get a bad rap, but they are here to protect us.” (p. 32-33)

• The evidence establishes that the shots fired by Wilson after Brown turned around were in self-defense. No credible witnesses testified that Brown was shot while attempting to surrender. According to the report, “The media has widely reported that there is witness testimony that Brown said ‘don’t shoot as he held his hands above his head. In fact, our investigation did not reveal any eyewitnesses who stated that Brown said ‘don’t shoot.’” (p. 82)

• The report concludes: “Because Wilson did not act with the requisite criminal intent, it cannot be proven beyond reasonable doubt to a jury that he violated 18 USC 242 when he fired his weapon at Brown. For the reasons set forth, this matter lacks prosecutive merit and should be closed.”

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Socialism is fueling assaults on churches: Report
Violations of religious liberty, including physical assaults against church buildings, increased in 2017, according to a report from a watchdog based in Spain. Socialists perpetrated many of these attacks – which ranged from vandalism to attempted fire-bombings with Molotov cocktails – to protest both the Roman Catholic Church’s stance on social issues and its impact on economics. These assaults also include attempts to have the government seize church property. At the Acton Institute’sReligion & Liberty Transatlanticwebsite,Spanish writer Ángel Manuel García...
How to understand the concept of religious freedom
There’s ascene in the The Officein which Oscar, an accountant, attempts to explain a budget surplus to his boss, Michael Scott. “Why don’t you explain this to me like I’m an 8-year-old,” Michael says. When Oscar explains it in a simpler manner, his boss remains perplexed. “Why don’t you explain this to me like I’m 5,” Michael says. The world, like accounting, can plicated. Sometimes it helps to have concepts or ideasexplained to us like we’re a child—not because we’re...
Can human rights be repealed by majority vote?
This Friday, May 25, Irish voters will decide in a national referendum whether to repeal Article 8 of the Constitution, which “acknowledges” the rights of all living human beings in Ireland, including unborn children, and encourages lawmakers to enact “laws to defend and vindicate that right.” The new language would allow the right to abortion (or, in the proposed wording, “termination of pregnancies”). What does it mean if the Republic of Ireland repeals a constitutional provision that does not claim...
The beauty of trade: How sharing creates civilization and culture
In plex and globalized economy, it can be hard to remember that trade and markets are fundamentally about relationships—channels for human interaction in pursuit of goods and services. That basic reality may be easier to seeand feelat the local farmer’s market or the neighborhood diner, but it nonetheless translates across more intricate and extensive networks of exchange. Likewise, when es to what occurswithinandthroughoutthose trading relationships, it isn’t just a petty transfer of material stuff—and that’s true from the bottom to...
FAQ: 17 facts about the royal wedding (including who pays)
What are the details of the royal wedding, and where can I watch? The royal wedding of Prince Harry, 33, to actress Meghan Markle, 36, will take place inside St. George’s Chapel, Westminster, on Saturday, May 19 at 12 noon London time (7 a.m. Eastern, 4 a.m. Pacific). You can watch it online in numerous locations, including via BBC America’s livestream. How does this wedding break from tradition? Meghan Markle is the first biracial person to marry into the Royal...
The puzzle of economic growth
Note: This is post #79 in a weekly video series on basic economics. Why are some countries rich and others poor? There are various factors that interact in a dynamic and changing environment. And the final answer to the puzzle differs depending on the perspective you’re looking from, says Alex Tabarrok of Marginal Revolution University. In this video, Tabarrok examines different pieces of the wealth puzzle to show how they fit together. (If you find the pace of the videos...
Income inequality doesn’t affect living standards
When historians and economists look back at our era (starting around the time of the “Great Recession” in 2007) they’ll be hard-pressed to understand why so much of the policy debates centered around an issue of relatively minor importance that has existed since the beginning of humanity: e equality. The standard that really matters—and yet is relatively ignored—is consumption. In economics, consumption is the use of goods and services by households. Ensuring people have an e sufficient to meet their...
Radio Free Acton: Tech & Work on Israeli innovation; Upstream on HBO’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Dan Churchwell, associate director of program outreach at Acton, speaks with Eugene Kandel, CEO of Start-Up Nation Central, on Israeli innovation. Then, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker speaks with Phil Nichols, senior advisor at the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, on the new “Fahrenheit 451” movie from HBO, which releases May 19. Check out these additional resources on this week’s podcast topics: Learn more about Start-Up Nation Central Buy Start-Up Nation:...
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and the economics of infinity
Pursuit of a neo-Malthusian vision eventually turns into worship of Molech, says Jordan Ballor in this week’s Acton Commentary. The latest Marvel blockbuster,Avengers: Infinity War, has opened to popular acclaim and record-breaking box office numbers. It is truly a spectacle, and one that expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into uncharted territory. But amid the special effects and the glamor, the plot that drives the action is an old one, and no pelling because of its antiquity. Thanos, the Mad Titan,...
How the Vatican misunderstands finance
Earlier today, the Vatican releasedOeconomicae et pecuniariae quaestiones,a statement on “ethical discernment regarding some aspects of the present economic-financial system.” The document outlinessound general principles, says Acton research director Samuel Gregg, but also reflects the Church’s present struggle prehend modern finance: Over the past decade, various Vatican offices have producedseveraldocumentsaddressing the vexed topic of finance and banking. Given the turmoil and scandals characterizing the world’s financial sectors over the past two decades, such interventions are to be expected, even ed....
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved