Summary Post Group C

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/read-darren-wilsons-full-grand-jury-testimony/1472/

This is a court transcript of the questioning of Officer Darren Wilson conducted by a Ferguson grand jury examiner. Darren Wilson, a police officer for the Ferguson county police department in Ferguson, Missouri, was accused of shooting an unarmed teen, Michael Brown. This line of questioning was conducted to get Wilson’s testimony on the events of the morning of August 9^th, 2014. The examiner started the interview off with a series of questions that confirmed Wilson’s identity and his position as a police officer. From there, the interviewer began to reveal the events of the day starting off with Wilson’s shift hours and his first call. Darren Wilson was working a 6:30 am-6:30 pm shift as he did the previous day. To his recollection, the day was starting off slow and uneventful. Around 11am, he was dispatched to respond to a baby who was not breathing. Once handling that situation Wilson recalled hearing a call on the radio about a robbery in progress at a nearby convenience store, noting the suspects’ descriptions and a box of cigarillos as the stolen item. Wilson was not called to respond to the scene, so he resumed his routine patrol. Wilson then began an extended account of his interaction with Michael Brown. According to Wilson, as he was driving down a road, he spotted Michael Brown and his friend walking in the middle of a double line street. Wilson, pulled next to them and suggested to use the sidewalk, Browns friend responded that they were almost at their destination. Wilson suggested once more for them to move to the sidewalk, eliciting a vulgar response from Brown. At this moment officer Wilson noticed that Brown and his friend matched the description from the robbery call as well as brown holding cigarillos in his hand. When Wilson told Brown to stop, it elicited another vulgar response. From there Wilson tried to get out of his car, but Brown shut his door before he could get out. Wilson then recounts a physical confrontation ensuing with Brown reaching into Wilson’s car, ultimately ending in Wilson drawing his firearm. Wilson continually noted that he doesn’t carry a Taser due to limited supply at the station, he didn’t want to use mace for fear of it being ineffective and he could not use baton type gear due to being in a confined space. Wilson recounts him fearing for his life and so he drew his gun which he states was his most viable option as his other hand was protecting him from Brown’s blows. This entire account was communicated from Wilson to the observing grand jury present in the proceedings.