Prosecutor releases more Ferguson documents
New questions about the evidence presented to the Ferguson grand jury that decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown. Saint Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch has released more grand jury documents. He said they were left out by mistake when thousands of other documents were made public last month. CNN has been poring over the newly released information. The documents show the grand jury didn't just face an onslaught of witnesses with conflicting memories of what happened the day white police officer Darren Wilson killed Brown, an unarmed black teenager. It also heard from witnesses who had little to zero credibility. Ana Cabrera has more.
"Boys came and knocked on my door and said the police just shot your son" – Samaria Rice
As part of an exclusive interview featuring four mothers mourning lost sons, on Friday Samaria Rice recounted the way in which she learned of her child's death.
"Two more boys came and knocked on my door and said the police just shot your son twice in the stomach," she told Anderson Cooper. "I was still in disbelief until I actually seen my son laying on the ground. And the police was surrounding him."
On Friday, 12-year-old Tamir Rice's death was ruled a homicide.
Watch the above clip, as Samaria Rice explains why she feels video from that day, and audio of Tamir's screaming sister, needs to be seen and heard by the world.
"My son’s race and the color of his skin had a lot to do with why he was shot and killed"
In a CNN exclusive interview, on Friday evening Anderson Cooper welcomed four women, all of whom are mothers grieving for a lost son.
Though the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and Tamir Rice were different, there existed one constant: in each case the victim was a black male, and perceived to be a threat.
Asked if things might have been different were her son white, and Sybrina Fulton didn't hesitate:
"It’s an easy question for us, I think absolutely my son’s race and the color of his skin had a lot to do with why he was shot and killed," said Trayvon Martin's mom.
Watch the above clip for more of Fulton's response, as well as the answer from Tamir Rice's mother, Samaria.
Did Eric Garner's race cost him his life? His mom believes it did
Connected by similar tragedies, on Friday the mothers of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and Tamir Rice found themselves together in one room, all talking with Anderson Cooper.
Each of the four women is grieving over a lost son, and though the specifics in each instance varied, certain similarities did exist. And one of those similarities was race.
"If Eric Garner was a white man, in Suffolk County doing the same thing that he was doing – even if he would have been caught selling cigarettes that day – they would have given him a summons," said Garner's mother, Gwen Carr. "He wouldn’t have lost his life that day. I believe that 100 percent."
Watch the above clip as Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, explains what she thinks needs to happen for police profiling and racial bias to change.
Autopsy assistant under fire
Michael Brown's father: He's a murderer
Two days ago, the Ferguson grand jury made its decision. Yesterday, Officer Wilson spoke out in an interview about shooting Michael Brown. Now, Brown's parents are responding to all of it in a conversation with CNN Legal Analyst Sunny Hostin, along with their attorney Benjamin Crump. Here is just some of what Leslie McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr. had to say:
Michael Brown Sr. questioned Darren Wilson's testimony:
"I don't believe any of those words were exchanged at all."
Leslie McSpadden responded to the surveillance video of their son just before the shooting:
"You cannot judge him from an 18 second video. We've known him for 18 years."
Michael Brown Sr. addressed the violence in Ferguson:
"The ones looting and rioting they are doing it on their own agenda."
Leslie McSpadden defended her husband after his tirade following the grand jury's decision:
"Emotions were taking over him... He was speaking out in anger."
Michael Brown's parents say the parents of Trayvon Martin reached out to them shortly after the shooting. Michael Brown Sr. says he received advice from Martin, along with other men who lost sons telling him to "stay positive and to keep my head, keep my chin high." John Berman spoke with Trayvon Martin's father Tracy.
Ferguson community leaders show strength after destruction
Pastor Carlton Lee repeatedly called for the arrest of Officer Darren Wilson. Michael Brown's father worships there. Last night, his church was one of a dozen or so buildings that were set on fire. Pastor Lee tells Anderson that he is experiencing feelings that are similar to losing a child.
Varun Madaksira owns The Original Reds Barbecue in Ferguson. When his business burned during protests last August, he moved his grills outside and fed protesters. Sadly, Reds Barbecue suffered far more extensive damage last night. Now, Madaksira says he is not sure that he will be able to reopen. He tells Anderson that despite all of this, he is still "a firm believer in the fabric of a strong neighborhood."
How the Ferguson community is working to protect itself
Despite the looting and destruction that went on in some parts of Ferguson, the vast majority of protesters were peaceful. Even in the areas that saw some of the worst property damage, there are stories of community members standing together to protect local businesses. Sara Sidner looks at examples of peaceful protesters taking on looters in Ferguson.
Fact vs. fiction in Ferguson
Hundreds of pages of court records released after the announcement reveal just what the grand jurors heard. That includes testimony from witnesses who we heard from shortly after the shooting. Randi Kaye looks at how their accounts compare to what grand jurors heard in court.
What's next for Officer Darren Wilson?
Ferguson's Mayor says that Officer Wilson's status has not changed. He is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Anderson spoke with Wilson's attorneys Neil Bruntrager and Jim Towey. They told Anderson that the life he had before the shooting is over and Wilson now fears for his security.
