Protesters breathlessly awaiting to hear if Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson would be indicted in the death of Michael Brown had made an informal agreement; whatever the decision of the grand jury, demonstrators would observe four and a half minutes of silence in honor of Brown, whose body reportedly lay in the street for four and a half hours.
That silence didn’t last long when St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch announced that Wilson would not be charged. One of the loudest voices in the aftermath was that of Louis Head, Michael Brown’s stepfather, who famously stepped onto a platform and repeatedly yelled to the assembled crowd, “Burn this bitch down!” At least a dozen businesses were torched that night by rioters.
CNN reports today that no charges have been filed against Head, and Police Chief Tom Jackson says he hasn’t yet spoken to Head and “didn’t classify the probe as formal.”
St. Louis alderman Antonio French, who has been very active in the Ferguson demonstrations, read of the impending probe and declared it disrespectful to the Brown family.
The disrespect to the Brown family continues: CNN reports Brown's stepfather being investigated for inciting riot http://t.co/koeB3P5JCu
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) December 2, 2014
@AntonioFrench He should be.
— Matt Mikle (@Moneyman2626) December 2, 2014
@AntonioFrench I like how it's disrespectful now to report on an investigation. Your leadership is deteriorating, sir.
— Kyle (@Kentroyals5) December 2, 2014
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@AntonioFrench well, I mean… there's video evidence of him doing just that
— #FireSnitker (@TheBravesWay) December 2, 2014
https://twitter.com/attyrileyreagan/status/539853276943253504
@AntonioFrench @CNN Good. Yelling "burn this bitch down" to an angry group is inciting to riot.
— AstrO (@Mi_Astronauta) December 2, 2014
https://twitter.com/nkearns12/status/539853360623783941
.@AntonioFrench you're not lucid.
— Celeste Granillo (@Celestial32) December 2, 2014
@AntonioFrench I don't know but Burn this Bitch down sounds like inciting a riot. But hey that is just me and most people that heard it!
— Steve (@MACHTink) December 2, 2014
@AntonioFrench Derp!
— Dbright21 (@Dbright21) December 2, 2014
@AntonioFrench @CNN
The nerve of em to hold the convicted felon responsible for doing the equivalent of yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre— Scott (@NorthSTLCounty) December 2, 2014
@AntonioFrench @CNN
I'm wondering how disrespectful he'd say it was, if someone stood outside his house— Scott (@NorthSTLCounty) December 2, 2014
@AntonioFrench @CNN and yelled to a group to "burn this butch down", and he came home to rubble
— Scott (@NorthSTLCounty) December 2, 2014
What part of "let's burn this bitch down" isn't inciting a riot? @AntonioFrench
— The?FOO (@PolitiBunny) December 2, 2014
https://twitter.com/AlexisinJax/status/539863251308535808
Forget about the disrespect to business owners and workers who’ve lost livelihoods https://t.co/y4GIhMc1qz
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) December 2, 2014
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.
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