Weekly Reflection: “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” – The Spark and the System

Aug 10, 2023

Nine years ago this week on August 9, 2014, an unarmed Black teenager named Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, MO. Some witnesses claimed that during the confrontation between Michael Brown and the officer, Brown held up his empty hands and said, “Don’t shoot.” Following an investigation of the shooting by the Justice Department, that claim was challenged but the phrase “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” became a national rallying cry for protests against police brutality of Black people in Ferguson and throughout the country. In Ferguson, protesters were met by police using military grade gear and weapons. Images of that response were shown around the world. The spark of Michael Brown’s killing led to another investigation by the Justice Department into systemic racism within the Ferguson police department. The following sentences from the introduction to the 100 page report summarize the findings that linked a focus on raising revenue from fines with racist attitudes and practices:

Ferguson’s law enforcement practices are shaped by the City’s focus on revenue rather than by public safety needs. This emphasis on revenue has compromised the institutional character of Ferguson’s police department, contributing to a pattern of unconstitutional policing, and has also shaped its municipal court, leading to procedures that raise due process concerns and inflict unnecessary harm on members of the Ferguson community. Further, Ferguson’s police and municipal court practices both reflect and exacerbate existing racial bias, including racial stereotypes. Ferguson’s own data establish clear racial disparities that adversely impact African Americans. The evidence shows that discriminatory intent is part of the reason for these disparities. Over time, Ferguson’s police and municipal court practices have sown deep mistrust between parts of the community and the police department, undermining law enforcement legitimacy among African Americans in particular.

Without the tragic spark of Michael Brown’s death, the systemic racism within the Ferguson police department would likely have remained unchallenged and continued. Reforms have been implemented that will hopefully transform policing to its intended purpose of protecting and serving the community instead of being seen as a hostile occupying force. Since the events in Ferguson, investigations into systemic racism in several other police departments have revealed similar problems. Just this year, the Department of Justice launched investigations of the police departments in Louisville, KY and Memphis, TN. In both cases, it took the spark of a police killing of a Black person (Breonna Taylor and Tyre Nichols) to prompt the investigations. This comes at a time when forces within our nation deny the reality of systemic racism and use the phrase “law and order” as a way to deny the need to investigate and prosecute police brutality against Black people. When will the time come when our society faces and addresses systemic racism without needing the “spark” of the unnecessary deaths of more Black people? That time will not just happen inevitably. It will only come when the majority of our citizens of all races stand up for the inherent value of every person and demand systems that are more just and equitable for all.

The videos posted below focus on the events of nine years ago in Ferguson and the subsequent investigation into the Ferguson police department.