Riots in Ferguson, St Louis

To be announced today. This could explode if they don't prosecute Wilson.
 
If you were on the grand jury would it be tough not to vote for pressing charges regardless of the evidence knowing what might happen if the cop is not brought to trial? Obviously if the evidence supports going to trial it is an easy vote
 
JustAFan said:
If you were on the grand jury would it be tough not to vote for pressing charges regardless of the evidence knowing what might happen if the cop is not brought to trial? Obviously if the evidence supports going to trial it is an easy vote
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Not in the slightest.

If -- contrary to the evidence -- you sacrifice someone who you do not believe to be guilty for the sake of appeasing the threat of the mob, you also sacrifice the rule of law. I can't believe a country like America would even consider such a question.
 
People seem to be forgetting that this is not about conviction but just bringing an accused person to trial. From what I have read and seen, certain eye witness account are enough to alteast try the office involved. Then you decide on conviction.
 
rednev said:
Not in the slightest.

If -- contrary to the evidence -- you sacrifice someone who you do not believe to be guilty for the sake of appeasing the threat of the mob, you also sacrifice the rule of law. I can't believe a country like America would even consider such a question.
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Who said the country was considering it? I just asked a hypothetical question lol.

Certainly hope I would stick to the principles and the law. But damn glad I don't have to feel that pressure. Basically you just have to realize people's reactions are there responsibility and you have to do the right thing.
 
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crappycraperson said:
People seem to be forgetting that this is not about conviction but just bringing an accused person to trial. From what I have read and seen, certain eye witness account are enough to alteast try the office involved. Then you decide on conviction.
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Yes that is an important point nobody is found guilty by the grand jury. They just decide if the prosecution has enough to warrant taking the issue to trial. The defense does not get to present any evidence or refute the evidence presented. It is all about the prosecution at this point.
 
Looks like it will be no indictment. Should be announced in the next few minutes.
 
No indictment. Hope the riots aren't too bad.
 
From what has been said it seems as if the officer according to the law was justified to shoot Brown during the initial tussle. But for him to be justified to fire the amount of shots he did for me is ridiculous.

The amount of idiots that have come forward with false statements seems to have played a big part in this decision. It is now a ticking time bomb to live in Ferguson, it might be a month, year or even five but this will not be forgotten.
 
Rumors of potential rioting are just idiotic fear mongering by the media. For the most part, recent protests, including the ones tonight, have been lawful, while brimming with raw emotion. This is a bitter pill for the black community to swallow, and in some ways, it's like nothing has changed since the 60s.
 
All I can gather is that there is a lot of disappointment from the American community. Little about real rioting though.
 
shabz said:
From what has been said it seems as if the officer according to the law was justified to shoot Brown during the initial tussle. But for him to be justified to fire the amount of shots he did for me is ridiculous.

The amount of idiots that have come forward with false statements seems to have played a big part in this decision. It is now a ticking time bomb to live in Ferguson, it might be a month, year or even five but this will not be forgotten.
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The reaction to the shooting has been absolutely hysterical, in my view. I don't mean comedic, but that it has been devoid of sense. It's going to happen again and again - criminal thugs will be shot by police officers, and there will be uproar in the absence of any sound evidence of wrongdoing. The only way to prevent this nonsense is to force cops to wear head-cameras at all times.
 
Looks like its proper kicking off right now.
 
rednev said:
The reaction to the shooting has been absolutely hysterical, in my view. I don't mean comedic, but that it has been devoid of sense. It's going to happen again and again - criminal thugs will be shot by police officers, and there will be uproar in the absence of any sound evidence of wrongdoing. The only way to prevent this nonsense is to force cops to wear head-cameras at all times.
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How so?
 
The CNN reporters are getting destroyed by tear gas.


rednev said:
The reaction to the shooting has been absolutely hysterical, in my view. I don't mean comedic, but that it has been devoid of sense. It's going to happen again and again - criminal thugs will be shot by police officers, and there will be uproar in the absence of any sound evidence of wrongdoing. The only way to prevent this nonsense is to force cops to wear head-cameras at all times.
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I do agree that the looting and criminal activities by some protesters is wrong but it seems like the majority of people have remained peaceful but vocal. But the amount of shots fired and the way people are killed is something that is rightly being challenged IMO.
 
One town in my area has the cops wear body cams. The chief says it holds both the cops and the public accountable. They now have fewer complaints about the cops and the officers claim the have fewer issues with people they are dealing with. Seems being on camera puts all on their best behavior. Other towns and the city police force are moving to use them.
 
JustAFan said:
One town in my area has the cops wear body cams. The chief says it holds both the cops and the public accountable. They now have fewer complaints about the cops and the officers claim the have fewer issues with people they are dealing with. Seems being on camera puts all on their best behavior. Other towns and the city police force are moving to use them.
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It is a great idea and but a costly one to roll out to all forces, and I am sure it would have a positive effect until the day the camera 'stops working' and something tragic happens again. For me idiots will always be idiots regardless of circumstances and while the majority of people in many countries are law abiding the idiots will always highlighted.
 
adexkola said:
How so?
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From where I've been looking at it, the reaction was based not on an impartial examination of what little evidence there was, but on an appeal to emotion. Once this appeal had been met (with the help of social media and other shallow platforms of discussion), it ballooned into something that was beyond reason. The protesters had made up their minds and nothing was going to change this.
 
So what happens now? Do the police cautiously sit back allow the protesters to blow off some steam? Or go in hard to put out a statement that criminality will not be tolerated?
 
rednev said:
So what happens now? Do the police cautiously sit back allow the protesters to blow off some steam? Or go in hard to put out a statement that criminality will not be tolerated?
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They're doing a decent job of using tear gas and smoke to disperse the crowds. There's looting going on.....should continue throughout the night.
 
JustAFan said:
Like during the LA riots much of the looting will be left to run its course
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I think that tactic was a disaster during the 2011 London/England riots and it will be here too if the natural course is one of reckless mass violence and looting. Hopefully it won't come to that though and the potential for violence is just being hyped up by the media.
 
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