Like Vox said, the “Hands up, don’t shoot” images defined the protests over the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
It was one of the “only sure facts” about the shooting, liberal CNN contributor Sally Kohn said. “Mike Brown was unarmed and fleeing with hands up.”
The official county autopsy, however, strongly suggests that Michael Brown wasn’t fleeing when he was shot and didn’t have his hands up. So much for Kohn’s “sure facts.”
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Melinek also said the autopsy did not support witnesses who have claimed Brown was shot while running away from Wilson, or with his hands up.
She said Brown was facing Wilson when Brown took a shot to the forehead, two shots to the chest and a shot to the upper right arm. The wound to the top of Brown’s head would indicate he was falling forward or in a lunging position toward the shooter; the shot was instantly fatal.
A sixth shot that hit the forearm traveled from the back of the arm to the inner arm, which means Brown’s palms could not have been facing Wilson, as some witnesses have said, Melinek said. That trajectory shows Brown probably was not taking a standard surrender position with arms above the shoulders and palms out when he was hit, she said.”
To celebrate the debunking of the summer’s most popular anti-cop meme, here are 30 photos of pro-Michael Brown protesters doing their “hands up, don’t shoot” thing:
Giant paper mache of a black man with his hands up. #MichaelBrown pic.twitter.com/h60BjmgZz8
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) October 11, 2014
New witnesses to the Michael Brown killing say he had his hands up when he was shot by police. So why no arrest? http://t.co/qZjaDN4ECI
— The Nation (@thenation) September 13, 2014
Crowd chanting "Hands up, don't shoot!" #Ferguson #michaelbrown pic.twitter.com/pq0Ik0gLc5
— Joel Currier (@joelcurrier) September 10, 2014
#HandsUp protester interviews honor #MichaelBrown (VIDEO) http://t.co/sfrMOZjN6D
— HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) August 30, 2014
RT!!! Rizzy x "Hands Up" (Addressing Mike Brown Ferguson Police Shooting) – https://t.co/xXsj0yvlJn
— HOT ROD aka GoodtimesJackson ™ (@officialhotrod) August 28, 2014
Hands are up as the final prayers are said at the funeral of #MichaelBrown pic.twitter.com/6S0khnSEHN
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 25, 2014
https://twitter.com/tannercurtis/status/503931417693540353
Photo: #Ferguson related protesters with hands up chanting "hands up, don't shoot" at #STLRams Monday Night football pic.twitter.com/XkymAW7AGD
— Ben Boyd (@BenBoydKMOX) October 14, 2014
Kelly Slater surfs with "hands up" to honor Michael Brown http://t.co/eLBx8FASRY pic.twitter.com/ofKMGD9haw
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 20, 2014
"Hands up, don't shoot" and the growing power of protest memes: http://t.co/zPGzxeI4gn pic.twitter.com/wBUP8LAJv6
— Fast Company (@FastCompany) August 20, 2014
https://twitter.com/traciglee/status/502065131438628867
"Hands up! Don't shoot!" #Ferguson, MO, protests spread to nearby Clayton. http://t.co/s7KHztwXeq pic.twitter.com/9Ww2erUujj
— CNN Social Desk (@CNNSocialDesk) August 15, 2014
Crowd of about 80 #MikeBrown protesters march outside county courthouse chanting "hands up, don't shoot" pic.twitter.com/YO8MRKAupQ
— Pat McGonigle (@PatMcGFox4KC) August 12, 2014
Council member defends "hands up, don't shoot" sign on his desk. @LizGelardiFOX59 reports: http://t.co/ALn59d4djN pic.twitter.com/JUykerQAPb
— FOX59 News (@FOX59) August 19, 2014
Their rally cry…"Hands up. Don't shoot!" #FergusonShooting pic.twitter.com/yidUmvKMu2
— Mike Colombo (@Mike_Colombo) August 11, 2014
#LAPD has just arrived… crowd immediately put their hands up and start chanting "Hands Up Don't Shoot" #EzellFord pic.twitter.com/MD4xVOC10N
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) August 15, 2014
Hands up, don't shoot: How a gesture of surrender became a symbol of protest, in photos http://t.co/hkceXMWfoP pic.twitter.com/hx0U1Gf3Tu
— Vox (@voxdotcom) August 14, 2014
Video: The Redskins' striking "hands up" tribute to Michael Brown and the Ferguson protests. http://t.co/DjTamU1KFQ
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) August 19, 2014
Youngest member of the group holding her hands up in memory of #MichaelBrown pic.twitter.com/p8q3u6bqv6
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 16, 2014
Church adopts "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" prayer position for Ferguson during Sunday worship http://t.co/sWt55QBGid pic.twitter.com/jiHnzyDcwi
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) August 18, 2014
Chants of "Hands up! Don't shoot!" It's a battle cry you hear a lot in #Ferguson. #MichaelBrown pic.twitter.com/66IIPPn6r3
— ed lavandera (@edlavaCNN) August 14, 2014
Howard University students take powerful #DONTSHOOT photo in protest of #MikeBrown killing http://t.co/ZXgZzh86CV pic.twitter.com/4eKMfcrz7Y
— Global Grind (@GlobalGrind) August 14, 2014
Says it all. "Hands up, don't shoot" #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/2g2dOYUL4t
— Reem Abdellatif (@Reem_Abdellatif) August 14, 2014
The gesture — and the slogan "hands up, don't shoot!" — has become a symbol in Ferguson: http://t.co/JlQY4aZElb pic.twitter.com/vEwbS81Ai7
— VICE News (@vicenews) August 14, 2014
"Hands up, don't shoot" in #ferguson [photos via @GettyImages] http://t.co/zlnDrNhAhP pic.twitter.com/J9kUatdXiG
— Priyanka Boghani (@priyankaboghani) August 14, 2014
Chants of "Hands up, Don't Shoot!" At march and rally not far from scene of Michael Brown killing. pic.twitter.com/zi9aC39ys6
— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) August 13, 2014
Protestors in Clayton have hands up: Don't shoot! pic.twitter.com/FAmNRStYp2
— Jenna Hanchard (@JennaHanchard) August 12, 2014
https://twitter.com/SimoneVarano/status/522789809019158528
Crowd chantIng: "Hands up, Don't shoot" #MikeBrown (photo: @ElizabethKSDK) pic.twitter.com/tOjVhEoCH0
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) August 11, 2014
https://twitter.com/ezraklein/status/499917591948046336
Ridiculous.
Related:
Sally Kohn: ‘Only sure facts … Mike Brown was unarmed and fleeing with hands up.’
CNN contributor Sally Kohn hasn’t retracted her Michael Brown lie; Update: Kohn doubles down
Washington Redskins safety Ryan Clark says Michael Brown was murdered
MC Hammer: Darren Wilson murdered Michael Brown
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