In a "completely unexpected" (no, not really) development, Dorian Johnson, the person who was with Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri when Brown was killed by police officer Darren Wilson, has been arrested. I know, I know, it's a real shock to learn that the guy who completely fabricated the "hands up, don't shoot" lie and, along with Brown, "stole a box of cigars" from a store before their fateful encounter with Wilson could possibly have broken the law.
The Associated Press has written a story on the arrest. What's really odd, at least based on searches on Johnson's first name, is that the story isn't posted at the wire service's main national site or at its "Big Story" site.
But of course, a Tuesday story about how Johnson is suing the City of Ferguson and Wilson is at both sites (here and here). Here are excerpts from the AP story on Johnson's arrest found, apparently exclusively, at the New York Post (bolds are mine throughout this post):
Man with Michael Brown at time of shooting arrested in St. Louis
Dorian Johnson, the man who was with Michael Brown Jr. when Brown was fatally shot by a Ferguson police officer last summer, has been arrested on suspicion of drug charges and resisting arrest, St. Louis police said.
Johnson was arrested on Wednesday and police are pursuing charges. The specifics of where and when he was arrested have not yet been released.
Johnson was walking with Michael Brown Jr. on Aug. 9 when the two were approached by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson. The encounter ended with Brown fatally shot and led to months of protests and unrest in Ferguson.
... The (Johnson) suit claims that Wilson assaulted Johnson, violated his constitutional rights, and intentionally and negligently inflicted emotional pain during the encounter.
Here are more details from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which contains specifics:
Dorian Johnson, figure in Michael Brown case, arrested in St. Louis
... Police released details of an incident involving three men taken into custody after officers were called to the 5700 block of Acme Avenue at 3:21 p.m. Wednesday by someone “reporting a large group of subjects who were possibly armed with firearms.”
The police report did not name Johnson, but a police source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the incident involved Johnson and two of his brothers. Johnson allegedly had a cough medication mixed with what police believe to be an illegal narcotic on him.
The report said that as the officers who went to the scene dispersed the crowd, they noticed that one man had a bulge in his clothes that they suspected might be a weapon. A second man grabbed the arm of the officer who attempted to pat the first man down. The officer then attempted to detain the second man.
That prompted a third man to approach the officer and yell at him in an attempt to stop the arrest, the report said. That man allegedly then discarded narcotics onto the ground.
All three were arrested. One of Johnson’s brothers was found to be wanted in Bridgeton on warrants for armed robbery and armed criminal action, the police source said.
To be clear, stories on the arrest have begun to appear at other outlets.
But concerning the AP's coverage, did the Post grab an AP story which was subsequently withdrawn? Or is the wire service trying to minimize the visibility of a still-live story?
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
