Saturday, March 14, 2015

I doubt searching through Ferguson will result in an arrest.

March 13, 2015
By Manny Fernandez

....Chief Jon M. Belmar (click here) of the St. Louis County Police Department said Friday that no one was in custody, and that it was unlikely that the tips that had led the police to search a house near the police station on Thursday and question the people inside would “lead us anywhere regarding this investigation.” All of those detained were released....

One would have to assume the 'tree sitter' resides in Ferguson. I don't think that is the case and to continue to insist the gunman was a resident is to continue the tensions that exists today.

My opinion is the gunman was there waiting for gun fire or aggressive moves from police. If one is worried about the safety of citizens in the community it would be a dedication of an individual to carry out death(s) and/or wounds in order to protect the community. That absolutely does not dictate any one of the demonstrators had knowledge of the gunman.

The idea this violence was carried out by someone linked to the demonstration is a racist statement. One is assuming the gunman was Black. 

There were no witnesses, so the best outcome to the search for this lawbreaker is to draw up a composite and distribute it through the region. Be careful now, as the composite has to be constructed as racial neutral. The only witnesses saw explosion of gun powder at the muzzle. That is the only real knowledge to date that is being made public. 

See if a gunman wanted to actually level the playing field to protect the lives of the demonstrators it would be more than easy to mask any involvement with the sounds of tear gas canisters and/or guns going off. The question would then be, "Were these officers killed and/or wounded by their colleagues?" It would take time to study the ballistics and realize there was an outside gunman.

So, I believe the gunman had a degree of an itchy finger and has poor gun skills or the handgun only a limited range to it's ammunition traveling straight and true. It is my recommendation a composite be drawn and make public and distributed to the region. Someone may have intimate knowledge of the gunman's activity and might come forward. But, more than likely this mystery will never be solved.