On the Streets of America: Human Rights Abuses in Ferguson
Introduction Michael Brown, an 18-‐year-‐old unarmed African American man, was fatally shot by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9, 2014. Brown’s death set off a long-‐overdue conversation on race, policing and justice as well as protests that, as of this publication, are ongoing. The events in Ferguson have also raised a range of human rights concerns, including the right to life, the use of lethal force by law enforcement, the right to freedom from discrimination and the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Amnesty International wrote to Ferguson Police Department on August 12 and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on August 13, reminding authorities of their international human rights obligations. On August 14, a delegation of Amnesty International observers was deployed to Ferguson. This briefing outlines some of the human rights abuses and other policing failures witnessed by those observers and includes key recommendations on the use of lethal force by law enforcement officers and the policing of protests.
1. Use of lethal force
1.1 Death of Michael Brown
On Saturday, August 9, 2014, 18-‐year-‐old Michael Brown and a friend were walking down Canfield Drive when they were stopped by Officer Darren Wilson, who is white. Moments later, Brown was fatally shot by Officer Wilson.1 Michael Brown’s body then lay on the street for at least four hours. According to the autopsies conducted by both the family and the county medical examiner’s office, Michael Brown was shot six times.2 What happened between Brown and Wilson remains uncertain, due to conflicting reports. According to one witness, Brown and his friend attempted to walk away when the officer fired his weapon, shooting the unarmed Brown. According to police statements, a physical confrontation between the officer and Brown resulted in the officer shooting the unarmed Brown. Even if there had been a physical confrontation between Michael Brown and Officer Wilson, Michael Brown was unarmed and thus unlikely to have presented a serious threat to the life of the police officer. As such, this calls into question whether the use of lethal force was justified, and the circumstances of the killing must be urgently clarified.
1.2 Laws governing the use of lethal force
Standards of conduct for police officers and the use of force are set out under the U.N. Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the U.N. Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. Amnesty International recognizes that law enforcement officers face dangerous situations on a daily basis, and that the use of force is sometimes unavoidable. International standards provide that law enforcement officers should only use force as a last resort and that the amount of force