The narrative for the Ferguson shooting has completely fallen apart. Yahoo/AP

Security footage allegedly shows Michael Brown committing a robbery. Yahoo/Reuters

Ferguson police accuse shooting victim Michael Brown of committing a strong-arm robbery shortly before he was shot. -Yahoo/AP. Brown and his accomplice Dorian Johnson, and witness to the shooting, are accused of stealing a box of cigars and roughing up a man. Johnson admits that Brown took the cigars. The police revealed the name of the officer, Darren Wilson, and explained that the officer was responding to the robbery when he discovered Brown and Johnson. The account then differs with both sides confirming that there was a struggle but with Johnson saying that Brown had surrendered while Wilson says that he did not. Brown's family denies everything and protesters began marching.

My Comment:

So much for the peace Ferguson had last night. It's already clear that some are trying to paint this as some kind of police conspiracy. The people that felt strongly enough to protest about this before won't change their minds due to the video, even if it seems very clear that a crime was committed. They hate the police and won't listen to anything they say, even if there is video evidence. The narrative that this was just an innocent boy gunned down for jaywalking is completely destroyed though. It is almost certain that Michael Brown was far from innocent and was nothing more then a common violent criminal. 

That being said, I have to admit that this isn't a closed case by any means. Even if the police account is true, questions have to be answered. If it turns out that Brown was running away or there is conclusive evidence that he surrendered to Wilson, then Wilson might still end up in prison. But lacking concrete evidence of that, this will almost certainly end in acquittal now, justifiably or not. People are far less sympathetic to criminals getting shot then the innocent. And the star witness in the case, Dorian Johnson, is an accomplice to a strong arm robbery. There was reasonable doubt before this information came out and there is a lot more of it now. 

Of course the police response to this issue has been dreadful and deserves criticism. This information should have been released right away. And the heavy handed tactics they used to break up looting and riots, along with legitimate protesters and media, did a lot to increase the tension. It's unlikely the protesters would have been convinced anyways but they are not in the mood to listen to reason now. This is going to get worse before it gets better.