1 of 5 | A makeship memorial has been established in the middle of the street in Ferguson, Missouri for the teen that was slain there by a Ferguson policeman on August 9, 2014. Michael Brown was shot numerous times after an apparent stuggle with the officer, setting off several days of protests and vandalism. UPI/David Broome |
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FERGUSON, Mo., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- For the first time, the public is getting Officer Darren Wilson's side of the story in the fatal shooting of Ferguson, Mo., teen Michael Brown.
A person who called herself a friend of Wilson's and identifying herself only as "Josie" called into The Dana Show, a conservative syndicated radio show hosted by Dana Loesch, to share what she claimed was Wilson's account of the moments shortly after noon on August 9. A source close to the investigation called the account an "accurate" version of Wilson's side of events.
The woman described a sequence of events in which Wilson rolled down his window to tell Brown and a friend, Dorian Johnson, to stop walking down the middle of the street. She said Brown shoved Wilson when the officer tried to get out of the car, punching Wilson in the face and going for his gun.
The gun went off, she said, and Brown and Johnson took off down the street, then Wilson ordered them to freeze. She said Brown turned around and began taunting Wilson, then ran at him full speed. That's when Wilson began shooting, she said, and Brown only stopped running when Wilson shot him in the head, just two or three feet away.
"So he really thinks he was on something," she said.
A private autopsy conducted by former New York City Chief Medical Examiner Michael Baden found no signs of struggle on Brown's body, but police have said Wilson was treated for swelling of the face. Baden and consultant Shawn Parcells said they were able to determine that the gun was fired from more than 18 inches away, as there was no stippling or gun powder residue on the body, but without Brown's clothing, they could not be more specific.
The county, meanwhile, has released very little information about its own autopsy, which was completed on Friday.
St. Louis County Medical Examiner Mary Case confirmed Monday that Brown had been shot six to eight times, from the front, a similar account as Baden's examination. A person familiar with the investigation also said Brown had marijuana in his system when he died.
Below, "Josie" tells Wilson's side of the story:
"He pulled up ahead of them. And then he got a call-in that there was a strong-arm robbery. And, they gave a description. And, he's looking at them and they got something in their hands and it looks like it could be what, you know those cigars or whatever. So he goes in reverse back to them. Tries to get out of his car. They slam his door shut violently. I think he said Michael did. And, then he opened the car again. He tried to get out. He stands up.
And then Michael just bum-rushes him and shoves him back into his car. Punches him in the face and them Darren grabs for his gun. Michael grabbed for the gun. At one point he got the gun entirely turned against his hip. And he shoves it away. And the gun goes off.
Well, then Michael takes off and gets to be about 35 feet away. And, Darren's first protocol is to pursue. So, he stands up and yells, "Freeze!" Michael and his friend turn around. And Michael taunts him... And then all the sudden he just started bumrushing him. He just started coming at him full speed. And, so he just started shooting. And, he just kept coming. And, so he really thinks he was on something."
