November 25, 2014

NBA players upset over grand jury’s decision on Mike Brown’s case

ParkFergusonAfter all the chaos that occurred in Ferguson over the summer due to the shooting of teenager Mike Brown by a police officer, there was hope on Monday to see justice for what had occurred. To the surprise of most around the nation, Officer Darren Wilson was charged with absolutely nothing. Details from Jezebel.com:

Officials in Ferguson, Missouri have announced that the grand jury has declined to charge Officer Darren Wilson with any crime in relation to the shooting death of Mike Brown.

In a statement, St. Louis County prosecutor Robert P. McCulloch said there was a full investigation. He said the grand jury are the only people who have reviewed all of the evidence.The prosecutor said the grand jury, which convened beginning on Aug. 20, was “extremely engaged in the process,” asking question of witness and asking for physical evidence. He said he most significant challenge encountered in the investigation is the news media and “non stop rumors on social media.” He said “closely guarded details” give law enforcement a yardstick for measuring the truthfulness of witnesses. Eye witnesses made conflicting statements or conflicted with physical evidence, he said. People on social media claimed Wilson shot Brown while standing over him or in the back. Autopsy reports and other witnesses disproved that, he said.

The jury that let Wilson off the hook consisted of 7 men and 5 women. Of the 12 members of the Grand Jury, 9 were white.

The news upset people all around the country, as protests against the situation went far beyond just in Ferguson, as can be seen here, here as well as outside of the White House. In Ferguson, things have gotten out of control as police cars have been vandalized, gunshots could be heard, and a no-fly zone has been issued around the area. You can watch what’s happening live here and find more details on the immediate aftermath of the news here. Here is an article detailing the reaction of Brown’s mother, from Yamiche Alcindor of USA Today:

As the world discussed the implications of Michael Brown’s death, his mother sat alone in a plush hotel room full of people, silent, stoic and staring at her phone as she awaited word from the grand jury. When the word came, attorney Benjamin Crump fielded the phone call. “The jury was not inclined to indict on any charges,” he said. Lesley McSpadden, Brown’s mother, screamed and sobbed. After months of press conferences and speeches and testimony before the United Nations, Lesley McSpadden now had few words. A button pinned to her chest read “Indict Now.” The white knit hat with photo of her son pulled tight on her head called for “Justice for Mike Brown.”

The pain of the jury’s decision has been felt deeply by most, including many members of the NBA. Here are their reactions:


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Tweet of the Night: Dan Le Batard puts Cavaliers on blast, LeBron James reacts to all the controversy

Tweet of the Night: Rudy Gobert did not like DeMarcus Cousins’ flop against Joakim Noah

James Park is a blogger and editor of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.

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