Attorney: Michael Brown's Family Wants Killer Cop Arrested
Michael Brown's family believes Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson should be arrested for killing their son, attorney Benjamin Crump said at a press conference this morning. The conference came after an autopsy requested by the family showed Brown was shot at least six times.
"His mother wanted to ask the question that Dr. Baden nor any of the lawyers could answer," Crump said. "'What else do we need to get them to arrest the killer of my child?'"
Dr. Michael Baden, the medical examiner, said that all but the last shot, which hit the top of Brown's head, would have been survivable, and attorneys argued that the trajectories of the head shots showed Brown was attempting to surrender to police. "It shows a back-to-front [trajectory] for both of those, and it supports what the witnesses said about him trying to surrender to the officer," Attorney Daryl Parks said. "His head was in a downward position. Had to be, for what had happened. Those types of facts are clear. And we believe that given those kinds of facts, this officer should have been arrested."
"It verifies the worst that the family thinks happened—that he was executed," said Crump. "It confirms what the witnesses said, that this was an execution. That's what the witnesses said from day one." Crump also argued that the trajectory of bullets through Brown's hand and arm make it "obvious" that "his hands were up at some point."
Baden said that a final report would require analysis of Brown's clothing, USA Today reports, as gunshot residue could indicate whether he was shot from close range. No residue was found on Brown's body.
Yesterday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal Department of Justice will conduct its own autopsy on Brown, due to the case's "extraordinary circumstances."
[Image via AP]