How Michael Brown’s Story Impacts Me

Police officer Darren Wilson, from the Ferguson Police Department in Missouri, killed Michael Brown on August 9, 2014. There were conflicting reports and evidence about this case, however it was revealed in court that Wilson initially stopped Brown and his friend for jaywalking. The situation escalated, included a physical altercation, and ultimately ended with Brown being shot six times and dying.

As a result of this widely recognized tragedy, there was a grand jury trial to consider charging Wilson.

According to Wilson’s testimony during the trial, Wilson feared for his life and ultimately shot Brown because Brown had an “aggressive face” and looked like a “demon.”

Although Michael Brown was unarmed, Wilson feared for his life and felt justified in his use of force.

The jury empathized with Wilson and decided not to charge him, ultimately revealing harmful underlying ideas that some have. Words such as “aggressive” and “demon” reveal the idea that having black or brown skin makes someone evil and more likely to commit a crime. Furthermore, the idea that this shooting was somehow justified reveals that “criminals” (of course only according to the person, or people in power) are sometimes considered less than human. Lastly, the fact that any type of violence can be justified reveals a failure to courageously insist on a more peaceful world.

Despite these harmful ideas, the fact of the matter is that Michael Brown is dead. That is a tragedy.

Michael Brown is dead, and he has been vilified to the point that his death is somehow justified. That is an even greater tragedy.

His life was taken away from him, and yet we do not know his story of the situation leading up to the shooting and beyond: his dreams, likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. We do not know who he was as a full, complex human being rather than who he was as a caricature in the news and testimony.

Although the criminal justice system does not always produce such tragic results this is undoubtedly an instance of system failure that needs to be prevented in the future.

Our country should be a place where all people, no matter their race or perceived criminality, experience fairness in the criminal justice system rather than being killed by police officers. Thus, we need to make sure that we are using comprehensive, data-driven practices, from start to finish, to ensure respect and fairness for all people involved with the system.