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Michael Brown Suspected of Robbery Minutes Before Fatal Shooting

A police report released Friday by Ferguson police identifies Michael Brown as a suspect in a robbery at a convenience store a short time before he was fatally shot by a police officer.

August 15, 2014
Michael Brown Suspected of Robbery Minutes Before Fatal Shooting

Surveillance video stills reportedly show a strong-arm robbery in a Ferguson, Mo., convenience store. Michael Brown was, according to police reports released today, a suspect in the robbery. Minutes after the incident in the store, Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer. (Photo: Ferguson PD)

2 min to read


A police report released Friday by Ferguson police identifies Michael Brown as a suspect in a robbery at a convenience store a short time before he was fatally shot by a police officer.

Documents released by Ferguson Chief of Police Tom Jackson in response to Sunshine Law requests name Brown as a suspect in the robbery of a store in which about $50 worth of cigars were taken. 

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The chief's statement spurred anger from protesters at the QuikTrip where he made the announcement. The chief was quickly hustled away from the area and he did not answer questions, launching a whole new round of protest along West Ferguson Avenue.

The name and address of the store police say was robbed are redacted from the documents, but it was not the QuikTrip that has become ground zero of protests. Also named as a suspect in the robbery is Dorian Johnson, 22, a man who has said he was with Brown when he was shot, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Jackson described events before the shooting on Saturday, saying Officer Darren Wilson was at a sick call from 11:48 a.m. to about noon. An ambulance was also at that scene.

At 11:51 a.m. a 911 caller reported a strong-arm robbery at a convenience store, Jackson said. He did not name the store. A brief description went out a minute later.

A different officer went to the convenience store and a more detailed description went out a short time later. The robbery suspect was said to be heading toward the QuikTrip in Ferguson.

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Wilson left the sick call and encountered Michael Brown at 12:01 p.m. Sometime between then and 12:04 p.m., when a second officer arrived at the scene, Brown was fatally shot by Wilson.

 

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