If you thought Ferguson, Mo., was finally out of the spotlight, eclipsed by shootings of black men and other acts of gratuitous police violence in other zip codes, think again. Dorian Johnson, a key witness in the Michael Brown shooting, was arrested along with his brothers, after police thought they saw a “bulge” under the clothes of one of the men (possibly indicating a weapon).
Johnson, who was with Brown after he robbed a store and was subsequently shot and killed by a police officer, was allegedly carrying a “cough medication mixed with what police believe to be an illegal narcotic on him” and tried to stop the police from arresting his brothers, one of whom had an arrest warrant out for him in connection to an armed robbery and armed criminal action in a nearby town. All three were charged with resisting arrest.
St. Louis police did not officially give out Johnson’s name in the arrest report, but a source confirmed that Johnson was involved in the arrest.
A St. Louis police source told reporters that Johnson “has been arrested on suspicion of drug charges and resisting arrest.”
Readers will recall that Johnson is the person who gave rise to the well-rehearsed lie that Michael Brown had his hands raised in a gesture of surrender when he was callously gunned down. That in turn fueled the protest rallying cry “Hand up, don’t shoot.”
In spite of Johnson’s version of events having been discredited, several days ago it was reported that he had filed a lawsuit against officer Darren Wilson and the city of Ferguson, claiming that Wilson had targeted him and Brown without probable cause.
Cross-posted at DeneenBorelli.com
