On a blazing Sunday afternoon, about 60 people showed up outside a bar in St. Louis to show support for the officer who killed Michael Brown.
Tom Turner at a pro-Darren Wilson rally Sunday.
Jim Dalrymple II
The gathering began gaining steam in the early afternoon outside Barney's Sports Pub in south St. Louis — a place many described as a popular police watering hole. At it's peak, between 50 and 70 people crowded around a table as organizers said they had raised thousands of dollars for Wilson, who killed Michael Brown on Aug. 9. A brief press conference ended with the group reciting in unison, "we are Darren Wilson."
Participants were not always anxious to talk to the media. An organizer named Mark — who said he was a police officer but declined to give his last name — explained that the point was to let Wilson know people "think he's a good officer" and "have his back." Many others at the rally also were reluctant to give last names and in some cases to appear in pictures. Only one man who spoke with BuzzFeed claimed any personal connection with Darren Wilson, but he did not provide his name and said only that he knew Wilson and knew that he was not a racist.
Still, many people were willing to speak about their participation. This is what they had to say:
"We'll all see this in the end that it was a good shooting. You know, it was a good kill." — Tina Morrison
Morrison, who used to live in Ferguson, said Wilson was trying to protect himself because he believed his life was in danger. "And had I been terrified for my life I would have killed him too," she explained, adding later that "I totally believe what he did was the right thing."
Despite ongoing conflicting reports about what happened during the shooting, many at the rally shared Morrison's view that Brown was in some way the aggressor, and that Wilson would ultimately be vindicated.
Jim Dalrymple II
"He deserves to be innocent until proven guilty." — Sara Wilson
The call for due process was a common one at the rally, and Sara Wilson (who is not related to Darren) said almost no one is “seeking justice” for Darren. Sara Wilson added that Darren had been "crucified" before the facts had come out.
Jim Dalrymple II
from BuzzFeed - Breaking http://ift.tt/1nsn9Et
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