August 15, 2014

Just because I know how cops think (because I covered them for years), I suspect the delay had more to do with getting the official story straight than it did with concern for the shooter's safety. You saw the military might on the streets of Ferguson the other night -- does it look like cops can't protect their own?

Even when cops are right, they act like they're guilty:

Police on Friday identified Darren Wilson as the officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in the St. Louis suburbs last weekend, touching off four nights of turbulence on the streets.

Thomas Jackson, the police chief of Ferguson, Missouri, made the announcement in front of a convenience store that was burned during the demonstrations.

He identified Wilson as a six-year veteran of the force. He said no prior disciplinary action had been taken against Wilson.

Michael Brown, 18, was shot to death during a confrontation with the officer on Saturday afternoon. Police have withheld most details about the encounter, including the number of bullets that hit Brown.

Jackson said that Wilson and other officers were in the area responding to a report of a “strong-arm robbery” at a different convenience store nearby.

The chief said earlier in the week that the officer had been taken to a hospital with injuries to his face. Jackson had declined for days to release the name of the officer, citing threats issued on social media.

Jackson announced that Michael Brown is identified in surveillance video as the suspect who is alleged to have stolen several boxes of cigars from the nearby convenience story, and the reason behind the police stop.

Jackson also announced the department would be releasing video of a "strong-armed robbery" that took place in the area. He outlined events that took place beginning at 11 a.m. the day of the shooting and offered an account of the incident that implies officers confronted Brown in connection with the robbery. He offered a packet to reporters that included more information.

The report identifies Brown as the primary suspect in the robbery. HuffPost's Ryan Reilly tweeted photos of some of the report's pages.

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