Now that the evidence gathered for the Ferguson grand jury and testimony the panel heard will not be sealed in advance of a trial, it will be made available to the public. That is not normally done when an indictment is not brought, but St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch believes it might help quell some of the tensions that have built up.
One of those documents to be released is a handwritten account by a witness who said that Michael Brown charged at officer Darren Wilson “like a football player. Head down.”
From the Smoking Gun:
The unidentified witness wrote that the 18-year-old Brown “has his arms out with attitude,” while “the cop just stood there.” The witness added, “Dang if that kid didn’t start running right at the cop like a football player. Head down.”
The witness told of hearing “3 bangs,” but “the big kid wouldn’t stop.”
The witness’s account of the unarmed Brown charging Wilson — even after he had been shot in the hand during a struggle at the cop’s patrol car — supports the officer’s contention that he fired a series of shots as Brown bore down on him.
That description may have been in part a reflection of Brown’s overall size — he was 6’ 4” and weighed 292 pounds — and/or appearance.
There is also Wilson’s grand jury testimony from Sept. 16, which recounts how he struggled with Brown as the teen lunged for his gun:
Naturally, that’s Wilson’s account of what went down. When the remainder of the documents are released, skeptics and supporters alike of the grand jury decision will be able to judge for themselves whether justice was in fact served.
