'This is for Mike Brown': Report of possible revenge robbery in St. Louis; Media downplays

Greg P. | 9:05 AM on September 22, 2014

Over to you, Eric Holder: is this a hate crime? St. Louis alderman Antonio French tweets:

Gunman mentions Michael Brown as he robs three couples leaving a restaurant http://t.co/gfaqIJ9YVs via @stltoday

— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) September 22, 2014

And here’s the opener from the St. Louis Post Dispatch article he linked to:

Gunman mentions Michael Brown as he robs three couples leaving a restaurant

St. Louis Metropolitan Police are investigating an armed robbery of six people who were walking from a restaurant in the 1100 block of Mississippi Avenue at about 11 p.m. Saturday.

Police said the three couples, all of them from 59 to 61 years old, had just left a restaurant and were walking north on the west side of the street when they were approached by two men. One of the men pointed a silver gun at the group and demanded their belongings.

After the second man grabbed items from the group, the first man said, “This is for Michael Brown,” according to a police account. Both men then ran off.

“Mentions” Mike Brown?

Mention is a pretty weak verb, defined as “refer to something briefly and without going into detail.” Is that really what happened here?

Maybe there a pattern of gunmen initiating small-talk with their victims that the Post Dispatch can point to defend why they chose “mention” as the best way to describe the alleged incident.