Did Mike Brown Actually Pay for those Cigarellos after all?
Here is another piece of the convenience store survelliance video from what the Ferguson Policed labeled a "strong arm robbery" involving Mike Brown. It's from a different camera than what the Ferguson Police released to the public.
While there is no audio (which is not uncommon with convenience store cameras) the video shows an angle that the Ferguson cops chose to ignore and not share with the public.
#1 From this angle it appears to not have been a clear-cut robbery at all. But rather it's quite possible that Mike Brown was actually paying the clerk and taking items he purchased.
#2 contrary to initial reports that Brown snatched merchandise while a clerk was in the bathroom, this angle clearly shows Brown in constant dialog with a store employee who was behind the counter the entire time.
#3 Cigarellos, like condoms, cigarettes, lottery tickets, etc are frequently kept on the counter or behind the counter, so seeing Brown reach over the counter in the clear presence of an employee doesn't in and of itself constitute a theft or even shoplifting.
#4 The video shows a clear dispute between Brown and the store clerk. Perhaps Brown tried to take more cigarellos than he paid for, which would explain the clerk attempting to block the door.
#5 Even shoving a store employee as Brown is shown to do in THIS VIDEO in the process does not constitute "strong arm robbery". At best this is a misdemeanor assault punishable by a fine and a couple days in county jail.
#6 The store clerk did not call the police. Did the clerk chose not to call police out of fear of retaliation by Brown? Or was that because as annoying as this was, the store clerk didn't see it as that big of a deal worthy of involving the police?
#7 Why isn't this portion of video being released to the public by the police?
#8 Since the Ferguson PD left out this part of the video, what else have they left out?
Combine this with the fact that the Ferguson police didn't even interview witnesses at the scene of the shooting and it's clear that the Ferguson Police are not only prejudiced, but are wholly incompetent in basic matters of gathering evidence and following common sense police procedures.
As of this posting, the Ferguson police have yet to be able to explain how stopping an 18yro for jaywalking and impeding traffic turned into a one-sided shootout with an unarmed victim where numerous witness have gone on national TV saying "he had his hands up when he was shot".
