Dad of Slain Unarmed Missouri Teen Michael Brown: 'We Need Justice for Our Son'
Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed by a cop.
Aug. 11, 2014— -- The mother and father of the unarmed Missouri teen Michael Brown, who was gunned down by a police officer over the weekend, called today for justice for their son.
Brown, who was African American, was shot multiple times and killed during a scuffle with a police officer Saturday afternoon in Ferguson, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis. Shell casings matched the officer's gun and he was placed on administrative leave, authorities said.
Brown's family, their lawyers and NAACP leaders met with reporters today to discuss the case and the violence that it has sparked in the community.
"It was my first-born son. I just wish I could have been there for him. He didn’t deserve that," said Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden.
Said his father, Michael Brown Sr.: "He was a good boy, he didn’t deserve none of this. We need justice for our son."
NAACP CEO Cornell William Brooks said they were there to "honor [Brown's] memory by seeking justice through non-violence."
The Aftermath of Looting in a Small Town After a Cop Shot an Unarmed Teen
Attorney Benjamin Crump said that Brown's parents were supposed to drop their son off at a technical college today, but instead they are planning his funeral. “It is not about getting angry, it is about us getting justice for Michael Brown,” he said. "Their baby was executed in broad daylight."
Brown's family, he added, "rejects what the police said at their press conference how this played out."
Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson told ABC News he would be holding a press conference to announce the name of the officer involved in the shooting sometime within the next 24 hours, by 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Earlier today the FBI announced it had opened its own investigation into the case, in addition to the investigation being led by St. Louis County police.
"The FBI has initiated a federal investigation into a potential civil rights violation that will supplement the St. Louis Co PD inquiry. We will continue to work closely with the PD and coordinate efforts as appropriate," a spokesperson for the FBI told ABC.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed the FBI probe and said in a statement, “The shooting incident in Ferguson, Missouri, this weekend deserves a fulsome review." He said the FBI would be working with attorneys from the department's civil rights division.
The FBI is "reviewing" the shooting death of an unarmed teenager by a police officer, federal authorities said today.
Witness Says Missouri Teen's Hands Were Up When Cop Shot Him
Looting, Vandalism After Vigil for Missouri Man Killed by Cop
Brown's death sparked outrage in the community and across the nation. One witness, Piaget Crenshaw, told ABC News that Brown was facing the officer with his hands raised in the air when the officer shot him.
The struggle began when the officer encountered two men, one of whom was Brown, in the street outside of an apartment complex, and one of the men pushed the office back toward his squad car, according to police. A shot was fired inside the squad car and then multiple shots were fired at Brown outside the car, killing him, authorities said.
A candlelight vigil was held Sunday night in Brown's honor.
The vigil later erupted into violence, with some individuals breaking into stores and looting goods while others vandalized police vehicles. A fire broke out in a QuickTrip store that had been looted earlier.