Michael Brown Shooting: Ferguson Police Release Robbery Incident Report
Police in Ferguson, Missouri, have released an incident report from prior to Michael Brown's shooting, one that details an alleged robbery that preceded the unarmed teen's killing by police.
Ferguson police identified the officer who shot and killed Brown as Officer Darren Wilson. The incident report claims that Brown had stolen a box of cigars prior to being lethally shot.
According to The Washington Post, the report does not "provide any additional information regarding the confrontation or why Brown was ultimately shot and killed."
Incident reports like this one are intended as records of observations and witness testimony that provide officers with probable cause to believe that a suspect has committed a crime. Substantially more than probable cause is required for an officer to use lethal force on any suspect, but it seems there may have been enough evidence for officers to arrest Brown for robbery.
According to the police report, Brown was suspected of robbery in the second degree (a felony) for forcibly stealing a box of cigars from a convenience store. A conviction for second degree robbery can be punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Editor's Note, August 22, 2014: This post was updated to clarify that this particular incident report does not describe Michael Brown's fatal shooting by Officer Darren Wilson.