Witnesses Support Wilson's Claims But Are Afraid To Come Forward

A number of African American eyewitnesses to the police shooting death of Michael Brown have given testimony in front of a grand jury that supports Darren Wilson, the officer who shot the teen on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Missouri.

But according to The Washington Post’s sources, the witnesses have not come forward publicly out of fear.

“Seven or eight African American eyewitnesses have provided testimony consistent with Wilson’s account, but none of them have spoken publicly out of fear for their safety,” the Post reported on Wednesday.

Wilson shot Brown following what began as a verbal altercation in the Canfield neighborhood in Ferguson. The town, and the neighborhood, are majority black. Brown was black. Officer Wilson is white. The shooting has sparked massive outrage from civil rights groups and protesters who believe that race contributed to Brown’s death and to what they see as a sloppy investigation into the shooting.

Most of the witnesses to the shooting who have come forward, including Brown’s friend Dorian Johnson who was with him at the time of the incident, have publicly said that Brown was surrendering when Wilson shot him.

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