A shocking and growing lack of deference to the law

There is no doubt that complex social and cultural issues exist in our country. The belief by many that Michael Brown ultimately lost his life at the hands of a Ferguson police officer because of the color of his skin underscores this fact.

The emotions and opinions primarily solidified by daily doses of conjecture administered by media outlets that are eager to fuel the flames should be concerning. Unfortunately, it doesn’t shock me anymore. What shocks me is the ever-growing lack of deference to rule of law, push for mob justice by some and a concerted lack of objective focus by the media even now, despite the release of a lengthy grand jury investigation.

Officer Darren Wilson’s testimony was supported by witness testimony and physical evidence that told an indisputable story of a fight inside Wilson’s own patrol car — one that could only occur if a man weighing well over 200 pounds brought the fight to Wilson before he could exit. This is an option chosen by only the most brazen criminals, and is a behavior foreign to most police officers.

The testimony and evidence also support the conclusion that Wilson drew his pistol while being beaten inside his police car and Brown attempted to gain control of it. Forensic evidence revealed that Wilson’s first shot was fired point blank and struck Brown’s hand. Many of the witnesses that supported Wilson’s testimony were African-American and differ dramatically from the original accounts showcased by many claiming race was the root cause in the shooting.

It’s insulting to most that a laundry list of social responsibilities be included here, however it may be sadly necessary as it seems to be missing from most of the opinion pieces I continue to see in the media.

First, don’t smoke marijuana, brazenly steal from a business and assault and intimidate the diminutive store clerk who protests your actions.

Next, don’t walk in the middle of the street with your stolen goods, forcing cars to go around you.

Third, listen to a police officer’s direction to use the sidewalk instead of responding with an expletive.

Fourth, don’t slam an officer’s door as he is trying to exit to contact you and keep him captive.

Fifth, don’t punch the officer repeatedly before taking a brief break to hand the stolen cigars to your friend before continuing the felonious attack.

Sixth, when an officer draws a weapon, listen to his commands.

Finally, don’t grab an officer’s weapon at any time and attempt to gain control of it. The officer must assume you intend to kill him with it.

Having stated the obvious, I can’t recall how many times I’ve read or heard, “white officer who shot unarmed black teen” in the media over the past three months. This implies to some that race was a factor and there is no justification for shooting a person who doesn’t have a weapon. What is conspicuously missing in this list is evidence that Officer Wilson killed Michael Brown because he was African-American — a crime many in the public had tried and convicted him for months ago.

If one considers only Brown’s criminal actions at the store — which were recorded on video — it’s apparent that this was one of the situations in which the public should demand that police take action. With that obligation comes great risk to public servants who wear a badge. If the multitude of physical evidence and testimony examined by the grand jury is convincing to the objective mind, Darren Wilson met that demand and fulfilled his duty to the community, was victimized, immediately vilified and continues to reportedly receive death threats for his service. Many owe him an apology if that is the case. Conversely, if the facts presented are true, Michael Brown is the last person who deserves the hero’s hat in this sad story.

Now, critics have moved on to attempt to cast aspersions on the prosecutor in efforts to discount the compelling evidence and question why Wilson did not choose to simply walk away from Michael Brown. When does it end?

Police officers have an ever increasingly complicated and many times dangerous job in a world where perception becomes fact faster than ever through social media.

It has never been more critical for police agencies to build and sustain positive relationships within the community, maintain transparency and consistently strive to improve the quality of life. For any of this to work, it’s equally as critical for people of every color to value the rule of law and personal responsibility — something that should be obvious to us all.

This story was originally published December 3, 2014 at 7:39 AM with the headline "A shocking and growing lack of deference to the law."