Michael Brown Shooting and Autopsy: Results Spark More Riots Ahead of Third Examination by Justice Department
Missouri teenager Michael Brown was shot at least six times, twice in the head, according to a preliminary autopsy requested by his family.
The preliminary report conducted by Dr. Michael Baden, a former chief medical examiner for the City of New York, was first obtained by The New York Times, and shows a graphic illustration of bullet holes in four places in Brown's arm and two in his head. There were only three bullets found in his body, but those that did enter, exited and entered several times, leaving five different wounds.
Lawyers for the family held a press conference on Monday on the preliminary autopsy results.
"We believe given those kinds of facts this officer should have been arrested, " said attorney Daryl Parks.
Civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump said the family wanted the additional autopsy because they feared the county's examination could be biased. Copies of the preliminary report and county's autopsy report have not been released to the media.
"They could not trust what was going to be put in the reports about the tragic execution of their child," Crump said.
Meanwhile, a Missouri grand jury could begin hearing evidence Wednesday regarding Brown's shooting death.
The Missouri teen was shot by police on Saturday, Aug. 9. Witnesses maintain that Brown was harassed by police and shot while he held up his hands in surrender. The St. Louis County's Police Chief Jon Belmar told reporters the next day the fatal shooting occurred after an "altercation Brown had with police.
Questions about what happened and who was responsible led to a week of protests by Ferguson residents for details about the incident, with police only releasing the name of the officer who shot Brown, Darren Wilson, on Friday. Some of the rallies turned violent, resulting in a militarized police presence, a response that shocked the nation.
Because of entrenched distrust of the local police and accusations of civil rights violations, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon handed over peacekeeping to the Missouri State Highway Patrol and instituted a curfew. But after protesters stayed out past the curfew on Saturday and Sunday, and police responded with teargas, Nixon ordered in the Missouri National Guard on Sunday night to help "in restoring peace and order."
"Tonight, a day of hope, prayers, and peaceful protests was marred by the violent criminal acts of an organized and growing number of individuals, many from outside the community and state, whose actions are putting the residents and businesses of Ferguson at risk. I join the people of Ferguson, and all Missourians, in strongly condemning this criminal activity that included firing upon law enforcement officers, shooting a civilian, throwing Molotov cocktails, looting, and a coordinated attempt to block roads and overrun the Unified Command Center," Nixon said.
Nixon added, "These violent acts are a disservice to the family of Michael Brown and his memory, and to the people of this community who yearn for justice to be served, and to feel safe in their own homes. Given these deliberate, coordinated and intensifying violent attacks on lives and property in Ferguson, I am directing the highly capable men and women of the Missouri National Guard to assist Colonel Ron Replogle and the Unified Command in restoring peace and order to this community."
Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered a third autopsy on Brown's body.