Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 50

Wednesday Updates on Ferguson

Not sure why media and most locals seem okay with shooting of the young blac  man with knife--now IDed as Kajieme Powell, age 25, near Ferguson, trusting police account.  Indeed, the account itself may be mainly accurate but the fact remains, the dead man was known to have severe mental issues and even with knife was there no other option for two white cops, such as tasering or momentary retreat.  Chris Hayes among those who seem thrilled that the police chief there waded into crowd to take questions--but that doesn't mean the shooting itself was fully warranted.  Just asking.  This young man was just a bit older than Mike Brown--and allegedly mentally impaired.  Earlier Hayes had tweeted:   "People here not disputing the knife, but all asking 'why not shoot him in the leg?'  'I thought they were supposed to have training.'"

Wall St. Journal editorial board member Jason Riley, a black man, advises on Fox:  “These looters and rioters do not need to hear from the attorney general that criticism of Obama is race-based. What they need to hear from this Black man in this position — the nation’s leading law enforcement official — is that they need to stay out of trouble with the law. They need to pull up their pants and finish school and take care of their kids. That is the message they need to hear.”

Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic asks if cop who threatened journo on tape will be prosecuted, you know, equal treatment. 

Harrowing account of cops very late last night chasing and threatening with shooting a group of activists, hip hoppers, media.  After quieter night, still dozens arrested. 

Chris Cuomo on CNN raising issue of Mike Brown's possible "juvenile record" as relevant, which Antonio French disputes.

Tuesday Updates (From the Top) on Ferguson Crisis

8:00  Not sure why media and most locals seem okay with shooting of the young man with knife near Ferguson, trusting police account.  Indeed, the account itself may be mainly accurate but the fact remains, the dead man was known to have severe mental issues and even with knife was there no other option for two cops, such as tasering or momentary retreat.  Chris Hayes among those who seem thrilled that the police chief there waded into crowd to take questions--but that doesn't mean the shooting itself was fully warranted.  Just asking.  This young man was just five years older than Mike Brown--and allegedly mentally impaired.  Earlier Hayes had tweeted:   "People here not disputing the knife, but all asking 'why not shoot him in the leg?'  'I thought they were supposed to have training'"

4:51 Some people are making hay over records for last night's arrests revealing that contrary to media (and Capt. Ron Johnson) claims, the vast majority of those jailed are indeed locals.  Well, it depends how you define local.  Only a tiny number hail from Ferguson itself, with most of the rest from towns scattered around the large county or in the city of  St. Louis.  So little stake in Ferguson itself.  

4:40 p.m.  State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed  on MSNBC just now said new move to recall Ferguson mayor as he does not represent community--not African-Republican and even a Republican.   Also calls for local prosecutor to recuse himself as "first step" to calm.


2:40 p.m.  And now, just 4 miles from Ferguson, another man shot and killed by a police officer--this time he was allegedly brandishing a knife outside a store (possible robbery) which he refused to put down.  Area, on edge from Ferguson, now sees people in that neighborhood on street buzzing about it and putting hands up and saying "don't shoot."   @AntonioFrench tweets:  "We've had an officer involved shooting in St. Louis City. Here at the scene to keep the crowd calm & find out exactly what happened."

Presser now with police chief.  Suspect "acting erratically" and "did not respond to verbal commands to drop weapon."  Came within 3 or 4 feet of officers in car so two ore maybe more shot.  Asked if officers have tasers, he said some do.  Will check to see if store video.  Says officers should have expectation of living and "going home" at night (says this twice).  Knife allegedly found.  No count of shots fired. An alderwoman witnessed. Allegedly man said "shoot me, kill me," though also then attacked cops.  Says some have claimed it was "suicide by cop."  

Update:  Police now ID him as black man, age 23. He had taken two energy drinks and pastries from the shop and was outside, pacing.  Cops arrived and when he displayed knife and approached they shot him from the car. No further word on taser option. @AntonioFrench urging calm, saying "St. Louis not Ferguson," and State Sen. Nasheed does the same.

9:15 a.m. Capt. Ron Johnson just now on MSNBC claims police came under "heavy gunfire."  By "element of criminals." Shooting came from behind bushes near homes and behind buildings.  Johnson says most journalists have done good job but strongly blames them for some of trouble and claims they have "swarmed around" the criminals--IDed because they are wearing masks, he says--which then draws crowd, and then sheltered by numbers the bad guys start throwing things. Of course, one problem--many wearing somethig over faces due to tear gas.  Johnson said they had new plan today but all it is, it seems, is to get peaceful protesters to go home at dusk. Fat chance?

Stephen Hawkins, U.S. head of Amnesty Int'l--which sent ten observers but kept far from scene to witness--on MSNBC hits "de facto" curfew with police forcing people out.  Saw tear gas and smoke bombs lobbed into crowds without knowing if kids or elderly there, which "violate international" human rights norms. 

Another journalist arrested, Ryan Defereaux of The Intercept, see their statement.  "But needless to say, it’s an outrage that he was stopped and handcuffed by police in the course of lawfully doing his job on the streets of Ferguson. We are trying to contact Ryan now."

St. Louis native and "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm on Ferguson.

NYT with its update on the confrontations overnight.  Many of the late arrests--as viewed on live TV--seemed to be more civil disobedience, protesters standing and waiting to get busted.  Chris Hayes and Jake Tapper and others viewed live as tear gas hit journalists badly.

Tin soldiers and (Jay) Nixon coming? National Guard so solution last night.  The Neil Young original.

Beethoven Back in Germany

At long last--ten months after its U.S. debut--the Beethoven Ninth film that I co-produced, directed by Kerry Candaele,  will finally be opening in his native Germany next month--Sept. 21 in (Eastern) Berlin and Sept. 22 in Munich.  What are the odds of this:  the Berlin theater, the Babylon, is one block from where my daughter, hubby and son now live.  We visited this past spring.  It's just north of Alexanderplatz.  If you can't make it, consider the Beethoven book I wrote with Kerry.  Oddly, Beethoven did not seem to have a major presence in Berlin, beyond the famous monument (my photo above).  On the other hand, there is a Ramones museum.

Perry Booked

Rick Perry arrives at courthouse to get booked and get mugshot (left).  Speaks before goes in.  Many fans cheer.  "I'm here today because I believe in the rule of law." Really? Did he have a choice?  "I'm going to enter this courthouse with my head held high, knowing actions I took were lawful and right."  And he'd do that veto again.  "It's about the constitution....This indictment is nothing short of a constitutional attack on the office of governor...I will not allow this attack to stand.  I'm going to fight this injustice with every fiber of my being--and we will prevail." 

ISIS Beheads One Journo, Threatens Another

ISIS has posted a video--still not taken down at YouTube as of 5:45 p.m. ET, or more likely, one version removed and another posted to take its place--that seems to show beheading of long-missing U.S. freelance journalist James Foley, after he made statement against U.S. bombing there.  At very end, another journalist, Steven Sotloff, is shown in same place with knife at throat with promise to kill him next.  Here's story (not video).

Mighty Chuck Young

That's what we called him back around 1975.  Sad to hear of passing of Charles M. Young on Monday after long battle with cancer. I gave him his writing start at Crawdaddy with dangerous piece about his infiltration of Lyndon LaRouche group (I think he had a cousin or brother in the group) before anyone had heard of LaRouche.  He then wrote for us for another year--including first cover story anywhere on Joan Jett and the Runaways--or two pre-Rolling Stone.  Became famous there for coverage of Sex Pistols and more. Also played on our softball team.  Fun and funny guy.  R.I.P.

Back in the Basement, Mixin' Up the Medicine?

T-Bone Burnett--I first saw him when he was a kid playing in Dylan's "Rolling Thunder" band in 1974--coming up with something he's calling "The New Basement Tapes."  He's taken lyrics Bob wrote at the time of the original basement recordings at Big Pink (my recent photo, left) and added backing with Elvis Costello, Jim James, Marcus Mumford and more.  Lo and behold. Yea, heavy, and a bottle of bread.

Dion Raves On

Best things on Facebook for awhile are little cell phone video "concerts" posted by the great Dion. Here he covers old friend Buddy Holly's "Rave On."  And if you missed his lunch room "Wanderer."

Post by Dion.

Tear Gas Return to Ferguson

Just now at midnight.  Livestreams.  Second one from Tim Pool who just suffered what he says was worst tear gassing ever and rubber bullets fired at him.   Photos on Twitter of at least one photog who got blasted by tear gas and down on ground.

Monday Updates (From the Top) on Ferguson Crisis

10:00   Crime reporter for St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets, @ChristineDByers.  "Police sources tell me more than a dozen witnesses have corroborated cop's version of events in shooting # Ferguson."
Now, this could be the usual police backing police with claim to media.  On the other hand, it's possible that there are witnesses from the neighborhood who have not appeared on TV (possibly afraid to do this) but have told story to police or now FBI.  We will see.


Photog released (see below).  Olson: "I want to be able to do my job as a member of the media and not be arrested for just doing my job”

6:30 CNN: Another journo arrested in Ferguson, photog apparently.  Chris Olson  from top firm Getty and didn't move quickly enough to...move.  He took perhaps most published photo from Ferguson--seen left, though the "Fuck the Police" on mailbox cropped...After some cameras caught arrests this afternoon that seemed excessive.  Videos on TV show Olson in black shirt and black cap, led away in cuffs and cameras around neck.  

4:30 p.m.    Apparently alleged friend of Wilson on radio today, woman named "Josie,"  claims that his defense will be that Brown "bum's rushed" him.  Officer tried to get out of car and Brown slammed door, then reached for and got his gun, and somehow gun went off.  Then Brown fled, but turned around, taunted Wilson and then "bum's rushed" giving Wilson no choice--in this view--to shoot him 5 or 6 times.   My question: I've seen account by "Josie" cited a dozen times on MSNBC and CNN today without any indication that they checked that she was for real.  Maybe they did, but oddly I have not heard once "we have confirmed..."

A commenter below posted link to an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last year about claims that the man who is assisting Dr. Michael Baden in his autopsy and forensics work on this case has inflated his credentials and done some other sketchy things. Here's how Parcells responded at length.

Curfew lifted after numerous groups call unconstitutional etc.

1:10 p.m.    Media persist in claiming that Officer Wilson had "clean record" and nothing in his "disciplinary" file.  As this shows, that means little, due to way files kept--and fact that even if never disciplined that doesn't mean he has nerve been accused of using excessive force or profiling or anything else.  Given what we know, what are odds that Wilson would be "disciplined" by Ferguson PD for almost anything?

Media report that local county medical examiner confirms that Brown hit by "multiple shots" to head and chest.  Why they are not saying more? Wash Post source says examiner found 6 to 8 wounds, all due to shots from front,  and Brown had marijuana in system.

12:00 p.m. CNN reporter talked to friend of Officer Wilson:  claims he has no "racist" tendencies, spoke with him and Wilson is "struggling" but say he's "safe."

@ChrisHayes:  "Just talked to 3 ministers who helped lead the march on the police staging area who all directly contradict official police account." Interviews will air tonight.

Obama to be briefed by Holder at 1:15 on Ferguson.  But federal autopsy has not yet started. 

Press conference at church on autopsy, will live-blog here. Lead attorney Crump starts it off.  Baden is there with Prof. Sean Parcells who assisted him.  Crump: at least number of shots could have been released on day one. He says autopsy shows what witnesses claimed is true.

Then second attorney Parks is on, talks about the two head shots. "Why would he be shot on top of his head, a 6-foot-4 man?"  That alone enough to arrest cop. 

Baden (he's 80 but still appears very sharp):  two autopsies not unusual but a third, federal one, very rare. He praises reputation of local medical examiner and says her autopsy probably fine.

Parcells for details: describes 6 entry wounds plus odd path of one that may have gone through eye and out the clavicle.  Key: wound to inside part of arm consistent with him walking away--or putting hands up.  Heads shot "most likely" the last two.

Baden taking questions:  repeats found no shots close but needs to see clothing.  Three bullets found in body but need to see x-rays.   Local autopsy may come out "today or three or four months from now."   Asked if any signs of of struggle: "there weren't," but needs to see any injuries claimed by cop.  "No evidence of a struggle." Baden predicts local autopsy will be very similar.   She can release any time--but can be halted by local prosecutor for months.  He couldn't do toxicology because blood gone by time he did autopsy..."All of the gunshot wounds survivable except for the two to the head."  Citizen audience angry that two head shots did not lead to immediate arrest of cop. 
*
Another witness on CNN with new cellphone video of immediate aftermath of shooting.  She is yet another who says she saw tussle at car, Brown running, Wilson shooting and grazing Brown, who then turns and shot many times.  She appears quite credible...Don Lemon interviews 4 volunteers from nearby towns who come every morning to clean up streets (including one white kid) and complain about small criminal element causing trouble. 

Gov. Jay Nixon, citing last night's conflicts--and exaggerating a bit--orders National Guard to Ferguson...As I tweeted late last night, police arrested another couple reporters, threatened to shoot another and mace Chris Hayes. ...This morning on TV local congressman says he has "no confidence" in local police investigation. ... Terrific column by the great (on and off the court) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at Time. 

Press conference at 10:30 a.m. ET on the Brown autopsy with Baden, and lawyers (re:  six shots from the front etc.).  Questions may include what the shot to the top of the head indicates since Brown was half a foot or more taller than Wilson (was he indeed on his knees when shot?) and the claim that another entered his right eye--and exited through his collarbone, suggesting a shot directly from above--or something..."One of the bullets shattered Mr. Brown’s right eye, traveled through his face, exited his jaw and re-entered his collarbone. The last two shots in the head would have stopped him in his tracks and were likely the last fired." Would only work if bent way over on knees--or shot while falling forward after earlier shot.

MSNBC report on their site says police had to rescue McDonald's staffers there after site "taken over."  Looting  elseqwhere and a fire and more.

John Oliver with another great segment last night on Ferguson and police militarization.