Group C Summary Post: Darren Wilson’s Testimony

I read “Transcript of Grand Jury V.” State of Missouri v. Darren Wilson specifically Darren Wilson’s testimony. Darren Wilson is questioned about the events of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri. Wilson heard over his radio that two people had robbed a convenience store, he was not called to the scene. As he was driving he saw two men walking in the middle of the road and stopped by them to ask them to move to the pavement. The larger one, Michael Brown, responded in an aggressive manner. At this point Wilson realized that these two were potentially the suspects from the convenience store robbery, Brown had Cigarillos in his hand which were said to be stolen from the scene. Wilson pulled over in front of the two suspects and attempted to exit his vehicle. Brown shut the car door on him and when Wilson managed to get his car door open again Brown confronted him inside the car. Brown was a large man and Wilson felt endangered in his presence, both because of his size and attitude. Wilson said that brown assaulted him, and he felt his only option was to use his gun. After he pulled it out Brown grabbed it and they struggled for power over the gun. A shot went off and Brown was hit for the first time. Brown retreated and Wilson fired a second shot missing Brown. Wilson pursued the suspect and told him to stop. At this point Brown turned around and started running towards him at which point Wilson fired several more times. Brown fell to the ground and finally other police officers arrived on the scene. Wilson had asked for backup over the radio before the confrontation but did not mention that he thought the two men were suspects from the robbery. Later it was found that Wilson’s radio was not set on the correct channel and nobody heard his request for backup. Ultimately Wilson’s testimony played a large part in the Grand Jury’s decision not to indict Wilson. When you read through the transcript Wilson describes Brown as almost inhumane. Wilson specifically says “And when I grabbed him, the only way I can describe it is I felt like a five?year?old holding onto Hulk Hogan.” Hulk Hogan is a celebrity figure, a wrestler, someone you wouldn’t interact with in day to day life. At other points he mentions that he had the look of the devil in his eyes. Wilson is using these descriptions to dehumanize Brown and to draw sympathy to himself, a useful tactic and regardless of whether Wilson was in the right, it worked.