First Geographic Orientation:
Officer Wilson fired 10 shots at 12:02pm. Locate on the map above the location identified as “Black Canseco Video”. The camera operator is on the South side of Canfield Drive facing North. The camera pans East (toward Big Mike body) and West (toward Officer Wilson SUV which is approximately 125 feet away).
The video/audio recording below starts at 12:07 pm (five minutes after the shots were fired – only the first police perimeter was established).
The mystery background witness testimonial begins at 12:11 pm (only nine minutes after the shooting and six minutes into the video).
The transcription accompanying the video/audio is from a professionally trained audio transcriptionist – who donated their effort to assist our research.
Remember the eye witness voice is not the camera operator; the eye witness is off camera explaining what transpired to another bystander. The testimonial is raw, unguarded, unrehearsed, and being stated less than 10 minutes since the shots were fired; therefore it is considered highly reliable.
The key elements begin at 06:05
WITNESS (6:05 – 6:08): They just walked right past me when I was going, coming out the house [inaudible].
WITNESS (6:10 – 6:12): [Inaudible] I mean [inaudible] I went back in –
QUESTIONER (6:12): That’s the one –
WITNESS (6:13 – 6:18): That’s the one that ran behind this right here, ‘cause he ran up there where we was at, where we live at.
WITNESS (6:19 – 6:20): Now I was, when I came back outside –
Key Element – It appears, as witness was coming out of his house, he saw Mike Brown and Dorian Johnson just walking, he then went back inside for a minute, and when he came back out the confrontation had begun.
WITNESS (6:20 – 6:26): – all I seen was the police in that truck right there. Dudes – I don’t know what happened [inaudible] –
QUESTIONER (6:26): So whose hat is that right there?
WITNESS (6:27 – 6:29): That’s his hat, I don’t know what happened –
QUESTIONER (6:29 – 6:30): How’d he get from there to here?
WITNESS (6:30 – 6:33): ‘Cause he ran. The police was still in the truck.
QUESTIONER (6:33): They came this way?
WITNESS (6:34 – 6:40): Naw, he was right there, the police was still in the truck. He’s like, I don’t know, he was kinda pushing with his hands [inaudible] he was in that truck.
QUESTIONER (6:38 – 6:40, crosstalk with last part of above): Running this way →? Why his body come this way ←though?
Key Element – the questioner is asking if Mike Brown was running East, why is his body facing West?
WITNESS (6:41 – 6:47): Him and the police, yeah him and the police, I mean the police was in the truck. He was like over the truck right, now.
WITNESS (6:47 – 6:51): But [“cause”] then he ran. Police got out and ran after him [inaudible].
Key Element – the Witness is stating Officer Wilson and Mike Brown both initially headed East
WITNESS (6:51 – 6:55): Then the next thing I know, he coming back towards the police. The police had his gun drawn already.
QUESTIONER (6:56 – 6:57): Oh, the police dropped the son?
Key Element – the witness is stating Mike Brown stopped, turned and began coming back toward officer Wilson who had his gun drawn. *Note* No gun fire prior to Mike Brown turning around – no shots toward the back.
WITNESS (6:57 – 7:05): Yeah the police shot him. The police kept dumping him, and I’m thinking that the police missing like, he’s like, police was like this far from him.
WITNESS (7:06 – 7:12): And I’m thinking [inaudible], at least, at least 5 shots. Next thing I know, I think he’s missing.
Key Element – Witness implying Officer Wilson and Mike Brown close in proximity when he observes initial volley of gunfire. Witness sounds incredulous because from his perspective officer Wilson should not be missing at the distance he’s observing.
QUESTIONER (7:12 – 7:14): The police shoot the dude?
WITNESS (7:14 – 7:17): The police shot him. Next thing I know, I think he’s missing.
WITNESS (7:18 – 7:21): He, then dude started running, kept coming toward the police.
Key Element – Witness is stating *AFTER* first volley of shots, we know to be six, Mike Brown then started “running”, “coming toward” officer Wilson.
– Transcription skips to 08:17 –
QUESTIONER (8:17 – 8:26): Because I’m tellin’ you, I heard like, I heard like 8 shots. It was like 4, and then it was like 4 more. It was like pop pop pop pop pop, and just stopped for a minute, pop pop pop.
WITNESS (8:27 -8:32): police officer, how many times you heard that? The police was like, at least 10 yards away from him shooting –
WITNESS (8:32 – 8:40): – and I’m thinking that – the dude was still standing – I’m thinking that he was missing him. Then he kept coming towards him [inaudible].
WITNESS (8:40 – 8:51): – he broke off running. Because I’m telling [inaudible] his partner ran through. His partner ran through here man, it looked to me [inaudible] that way.
This “mystery witness” statement is the only witness statement which matches all the known physical elements and physical evidence. Hopefully the police have identified and interviewed him.
Unfortunately, because Tiffany Mitchell and Piaget Crenshaw conversed with themselves, friends and family prior to their accounts – and because they absolutely did not physically see the 7 seconds of gunfire associated with the shooting – their statements are flawed, unreliable, and contradictory.
Mitchell and Crenshaw were together with community organizer, Anthony Shahid (“green shirt guy), and the family of Mike Brown for several minutes to an hour before they began giving their statements.
The statements given by Piaget and Tiffany came after the mantra of “hands up, don’t shoot” was chanted with their participation at the North West parking lot where the family and community organizers including New Black Panther Party members were gathering.
In addition, the 3rd known witness, Michael Brady, refutes the essential elements of the testimony for both Mitchell and Crenshaw.
Michael Brady, Tiffany Mitchell, Piaget Crenshaw – Who knew what when?
Michael Brady – saw part of the struggle at the SUV. He also saw the first part of the foot chase. He left to get his camera and run outside, and missed the actual 7 seconds of gunfire. He began recording on his camera phone at approximately 12:04pm just after the 2nd officer had arrived.
Tiffany Mitchell – Her position was the worst to see anything. She was on the phone with Piaget while pulling in the parking lot to pick her up for work. She was more than 175′ away (North) from the shooting, and did not witness the struggle at the suv – she arrived after.
Piaget Crenshaw – She was physically in the best locale, but was not looking out the window when Tiffany called. Tiffany alerted Piaget to the police car in the road. Despite Piaget’s claims, she did *not* witness the shooting because the gunfire only lasted 7 seconds. She admits she was not near a window. Her statements do not match the known facts. She likes the attention, and was happy to run in front of the cameras immediately.
Michael Brady has given the best account of the moments he was witness to, and NONE of what Tiffany or Piaget have claimed matches his own statements.