Posted on August 14, 2014

Photo credit: Christopher Hawkins

Video courtesy of CNN

The protests continued overnight in Ferguson, Missouri where a police shot and killed unarmed African American teenager, Michael Brown.

Two women who witnessed the shooting of unarmed teenager, Michael Brown, are giving accounts consistent with the story told by the teenager with Brown the night of the shooting. They say Brown and the officer appeared to tussle before he was shot. But, they say the 18 year-old did not enter the police cruiser as authorities claim he did.

Tiffany Mitchell told CNN she drove to Ferguson on Saturday to pick up an employee for work. She saw Brown and the officer tussling with Brown standing outside the police cruiser. The tussle occurred through the window of the police car. The employee, Piaget Crenshaw, watched the scene unfold from her apartment building. Piaget and Mitchell say Brown never entered the police cruiser.

They say they heard gunfire, Brown broke free, and the officer got out of the car and pursued Brown down the street. Crenshaw said Brown ran about 20 feet. He then faced the officer and raised his hands in the air. According to Crenshaw and Piaget, the officer kept firing.

National Outrage

Word of the killing of another unarmed African American man at the hands of police spread quickly. Protesters rallied in the St. Louis area. Brown’s parents hired Florida attorney, Benjamin Crump who represented the parents of Trayvon Martin. Federal investigators are assisting the local police with the investigation. Yet, attempts to contain the public grief and outrage have not been successful. Authorities asked protesters to stop the evening rallies, but the gatherings have continued.