New Documentary Raises Questions in Michael Brown Case In Ferguson [VIDEO]
Nearly three years ago, 18-year-old Michael Brown was gunned down by officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo., and left dying in the street for over four hours before his body was removed from the scene. At the time, police said that Brown robbed a convenience store of cigarillos prior and officer Wilson confronted him afterward, which led to the deadly shooting.
However, a new documentary titled Stranger Fruit features previously unseen video footage of Brown that raises more questions about his shooting death in the case. In the video above, it shows surveillance video of Brown walking into the Ferguson Market and Liquor store in the early morning hours of Aug. 9, 2014, where it appears he traded a bag of weed for two boxes of cigarillos. Stranger Fruit suggests that Brown wasn’t robbing the establishment later that afternoon, he was simply getting his two boxes of cigarillos back that he left in the store.
Stranger Fruit premiered over the weekend at SXSW and has reignited the conversation about racial relations in America and police violence against Black people.
The movie's director, Jason Pollock, and Brown’s mother, Lezley McSpadden, appeared before the premiere of Stranger Fruit, and talked to the media about the new revelations in the film. Pollock hopes his documentary sparks dialogue and possibly brings justice for Brown's family.
"I hope that this film is medicine for White people," he said. "Because they need to swallow some pills. And if you don't think there's a problem, look at the guy that just won (President Donald Trump)."
"We have a serious problem with white supremacy in this country," he continues. "And that's the underlining theme in all of this and that's what Mike Brown is helping us understand."
Despite the new video footage about Brown’s alleged robbery, an attorney for the convenience story told the New York Times that the two Aug. 9 incidents were not related. “There was no transaction,” said Jay Kanzler. “There was no understanding. No agreement. Those folks didn’t sell him cigarillos for pot. The reason he gave it back is he was walking out the door with unpaid merchandise and they wanted it back.”
A spokesperson for the St. Louis County Police Department told NYTimes that the video was not released because it wasn't relevant to the case.
In light of the documentary, Brown’s parents have filed a federal lawsuit against Officer Wilson, the city of Ferguson and the former Ferguson police chief. A civil trial is scheduled to start next year.
Check out the reactions to the new Michael Brown video below. Also, watch Jason Pollock's interview at SXSW below.