Ferguson Police Department Michael Brown Crime Scene 
The riots that occurred during the aftermath of the incident resulted in numerous arrests, millions of dollars 
in property damage sustained, and almost insurmountable damage to the relationship between police and 
young Black males. The Ferguson Police Department, where the officer is employed who shot and killed 
Michael Brown, had many issues; however, much of the information that the media released shortly after the 
shooting was later investigated and found incorrect. 
Police officer involved shootings are very serious. Officers train and qualify quarterly with their duty 
firearms and regularly review what is required to use deadly force. After every police-involved shooting (use 
of deadly force), once the investigation is complete, a grand jury or coroner’s inquest (depending on the 
jurisdiction and outcome of the shooting) must take place. There is a trial where the actions of the officer 
involved are examined to determine if the use of deadly force was justified. The officer describes in detail 
the shooting and why the officer felt it necessary to use deadly force. Witnesses take the stand and tell what 
they heard or saw. Finally, a jury decides whether or not the use of deadly force was justified. If the shooting 
is justified, the officer will not face formal charges for the use of the use of deadly force. However, if the 
shooting is determined to be unjustified, the officer can face felony charges, up to the murder. Generally, at 
this point, the officer is fired from the respective police department, and the prosecutor’s office files charges 
against the officer. For instance, at the Portland Police Bureau, any use of deadly force goes through eight 
different reviews, in order to determine if the officer was justified. 
In the News: Officers that utilize deadly force (such as a police shooting) once the investigaiton is 
completed are required to go through a grand jury or coroner’s inquest (depending on the state). This 
process is similar to any criminal trial. If the jury finds that the officer was NOT justified (in their decision 
ALISON S. BURKE, DAVID CARTER, BRIAN FEDOREK, TIFFANY MOREY, LORE RUTZ-BURRI, AND SHANELL
SANCHEZ
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