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U.S. NEWS A3
Monday 10 August 2015
Ferguson his son, Michael Brown Sr.
said, “Miss you.”
JIM SALTER He had thanked supporters
JIM SUHR before the march for not
Associated Press allowing what happened
FERGUSON, Missouri (AP) — to his son to be “swept un-
One year after the shooting der the carpet.”
that cast greater scrutiny Later Sunday, a few hun-
on how police interact with dred people turned out
black communities, the fa- at Greater St. Mark Family
ther of slain 18-year-old Mi- Church in a ceremony to
chael Brown led a march remember Brown, with his
in Ferguson, Missouri, on father joining other rela-
Sunday after a crowd of tives sitting behind the pul-
hundreds observed 4½ pit.
minutes of silence. Anthony Gray, one of the
Those who gathered to Brown family’s attorneys,
commemorate Brown be- said of the shooting, “You
gan their silence at 12:02 knew in your gut that it
p.m., the time he was killed, wasn’t right. And you knew
for a length of time that what that officer did was
symbolized the 4½ hours unjustified.”
that his body lay in the Michael Brown Sr. had also
street after he was killed. led a parade involving sev-
Two doves were released eral hundred people on
at the end. Police largely Saturday.
remained away from the He said his family is still
ceremony. grieving, but he believes his
Michael Brown Sr. held son’s legacy can be seen
hands with others to lead in the increased awareness
the march, which started at of police shootings, and re-
the site where his son, who newed skepticism when of-
was black and unarmed, ficers describe their side of
was fatally shot by Fergu- events leading up to those
son officer Darren Wilson shootings.
on Aug. 9, 2014. A grand The anniversary has also
jury and theU.S. Depart- sparked renewed protests,
ment of Justice declined but the focus of the week-
to prosecute Wilson, who end is largely on Brown,
resigned in November, but who graduated from high
the shooting touched off a school weeks before the
shooting and planned to
go to trade school to study
to become a heating and
Michael Brown Sr., center, takes part in a parade in honor of his son, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, But police said Brown stole the unrest escalated again
Mo. Sunday marks one year since Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer items from a convenience in November when a St.
Darren Wilson. store and shoved the own- Louis County grand jury
er who tried to stop him determined that Wilson
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) on the morning of Aug. 9, did nothing wrong. He re-
2014. Moments later, he signed days later. The No-
national “Black Lives Mat- air conditioning techni- gentle giant who stood and a friend were walking vember riots included fires
ter” movement. cian. around 6-foot-3 (1.9 me- on Canfield Drive when that burned more than a
Pausing along the route at Relatives and friends de- ters) and weighed nearly Wilson, who is white, told dozen businesses.
a permanent memorial for scribed Brown as a quiet, 300 pounds (136 kilograms). them to move to the side- The Justice Department
walk. reached the same conclu-
That led to a confrontation sion in March, clearing Wil-
inside Wilson’s police car. It son.
spilled outside, and Wilson But in a separate report,
claimed that Brown came the Justice Department
at him, menacingly, lead- cited racial bias and pro-
ing to the fatal shooting. filing in policing as well as
Some witnesses claimed a profit-driven municipal
Brown had his hands up in court system that often tar-
surrender. geted black residents, who
Federal officials conclud- make up about two-thirds
ed there was no evidence of Ferguson’s populace.
to disprove testimony by Ferguson’s city manager,
Wilson that he feared for police chief and municipal
his safety, nor was there re- judge resigned within days
liable evidence that Brown of that report. All three
had his hands up in surren- were white.
der when he was shot. The new judge, interim city
The shooting led to pro- manager and interim po-
tests, some violent, and lice chief are all black.q
