Shooting of Michael Brown - a murder, a police encounter, or a self defense?

There is no doubt that the police have a very hard job to do. The kinds of situations and challenges they face every day are so unpredictable and dangerous that it is very difficult to apply normal logic under some of these situations. But at the same time, many of these situations deal directly with human life and death, even a very small mistake can kill an innocent person or allow a dangerous criminal to get away. So, police officers need to be vigilant, careful, and attentive all the time. This all needs a lot of training along with a lot of physical and mental strength. That is why people from the police force or military are respected and honored for their service because they risk their own lives to save others every day. But when you read about the incidents like the shooting of Michael Brown then you doubt whether everyone in the police department is honest and dedicated towards their job. Under the circumstances Michael was shot raises many uncomfortable questions for which there are no easy answers.

Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager was shot dead by Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014. I don't think after reading the full story one can deny that Michael might have made some mistakes on that day (like stealing a pack of cigars from a store, getting into an argument with a police officer, or trying to resist the arrest). However, the question is, were his mistakes serious enough to fatally shoot him? Did he pose such a serious danger to Officer Darren Wilson's life that he shot Michael multiple times with the clear intention of killing him? If Michael committed some criminal offense then Officer Darren should have tried to arrest him, if at all he was required to use a weapon he should have tried to use it in a nonfatal way. Many teenagers do a lot of stupid things, many of these things they do without knowing the real consequences of their actions. There is no doubt that kids who make these types of mistakes should be punished if the mistake breaks any law or harms anyone to make sure that they don't repeat the same mistakes. But there are nonviolent ways to deal with such unpleasant situations, one needs to show a lot of patience while dealing with them. Brutal force should be used only when it is absolutely required. Every effort should be made by law enforcement officers to handle the matter without causing any serious injury when they are dealing with common people. This is because one can recover the lost or stolen items, one can chase or hunt criminals but one can not bring back lost lives and that is why this restraint and caution is necessary. 

This issue becomes more serious because of the racial angle involved in it. The victim Michael Brown was Black and Darren Wilson was white. One can understand why there is so much anger and protest against the grand jury's decision to acquit Officer Wilson. It is not only about the death but about the real intention behind the act of fatal shooting. Unfortunately, many protests are turning out to be very violent with a lot of destruction of public property. These kinds of violent protests rarely help the cause, but they do shift the focus away from the real problem as serious law and order situation is created due to violence and public property destruction. So, if people wanted to register their protest against the decision of the grand jury they should protest in a civilized and peaceful manner to register their protest, violence is not going to help. Also, this incident should be investigated by an unbiased and diverse jury so that people also believe that any decision taken is an unbiased decision. It is the job of investigating agencies to conduct a transparent investigation.

Some available statistics indicate that black teens are 21 times more likely to be killed by cops, this data is worrisome and concerning. If it is true then this problem needs urgent attention. Because of the many complexities involved, it is often difficult to decide whether such shootings are really a result of self-defense (where an officer shoots a person to save their own life) or potential murder. Police should try to show some restraint and caution while dealing with teenagers, if required they should be given special training for this. At the same time, teens also should be made aware of the role of police in their society and their own responsibilities as citizens of society. Spreading awareness among police and teens about their rights as well as responsibilities can be a first step in this direction. Michael is gone and I hope there is a proper investigation in this case to reveal the truth. The main focus should be on how can we avoid these types of incidents in the future. Let's try to accept first that there is a problem and then only we can find a solution for this. Unless both sides (society and law enforcement) which are part of this problem are actively involved in solving it I don't think there will be any viable solution for this. We all are part of this problem so we all have to be part of the solution also.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown
2. Ferguson’s Grand Jury Bought Darren Wilson’s Story
3. Deadly Force, in Black and White