THE CLAIM in a new documentary that Michael Brown did not actually rob the convenience store in Ferguson is wrong – even his friend who was with him on the day told the Grand Jury it was a robbery.
One of the most significant witnesses was Dorian Johnson. He was with Michael Brown from shortly after he woke up until he was shot dead a few hours later, and he is quite clear – with no qualification – that Brown did rob the convenience store that day.
After the play I released a filmed version (below) – again only using verbatim Grand Jury testimony. You can see and hear Dorian Johnson’s description of the incident. He is quite clear it is a robbery – as was everyone else in the store. (Video below; Johnson’s relevant testimony begins around 17:55 marks.)
According to Johnson, when they got to the store “Big Mike” started talking to the store clerk.
“I’m standing right behind Big Mike,” he said. “It didn’t strike me, I never thought that he didn’t have any money because like I said the times that I see him, he dressed nice and Next Generation clothing, so it is kind of pricier, so I figure that he had money.”
Then he describes the robbery – not a drug deal but a straightforward, common, bullying, cowardly robbery.
“The male store clerk ask him what does he want,” he continued. “Big Mike says in a very not, you know, threatening voice he just said, and while he was saying what he wanted, he said I want these box of Cigarillos. While he was saying it, he was leaning forward to grab them. Big Mike leaned forward, but it wasn’t a snatch and grab motion like he did it really quickly. He did it like, like he did it before I should say. The store clerk, he was standing right in front of him, he never did anything, he didn’t say anything. Mike pulled back and he handed the box, it was a box of mini Cigarillos. He turned around and handed those to me. Now, at this time I still didn’t think that he was not going to pay for them. It wasn’t until he went back the second time and grabbed a handful of the single Cigarillos.”
Johnson describes a store clerk who was also very clear that this was a robbery.
“As he was coming back, the store clerk did a late response and he swung at his hand, but he missed because he was so late, he smacked the counter,” he said.
And just to confirm that this was not a drug deal gone wrong, the store clerk, after being assaulted by Brown on his way out of the store, then says he will call the police.
“The store clerk had came around and he’s making his way to the door,” said Johnson. “Big Mike was almost at the door. So at that time when he slung the door open, I was making my way, I was trying to get around Big Mike and the store clerk to exit the store because I didn’t want any part of it, I knew here was cameras in the store. When Big Mike tried to go out the store clerk then tried to grab him and Big Mike kind of reverses the grab. It was a very fast motion, just a shove. As we were walking out of the store and I heard the store clerk say, I’m going to call the police.”
If this was a drug deal as the new documentary alleges, then why would the clerk want the police involved?
Johnson goes into a lot of detail about the robbery, and nowhere does he imply or ever hint that it is anything but a robbery. It is the ultimate fake news to suggest otherwise now. Don’t take my word for it – just listen to Michael Brown’s friends. And then ask news channels why they aren’t.
