The Washington Post reports two salient facts from autopsy about Michael Brown who was shot by a policeman in Ferguson, MO. Fact one: he was shot in the front, meaning he was facing the shooter. Fact two: he had marijuana in his system.
A third fact comes from other sources, Mr. Brown was tall, 6'4" and no lightweight, variously described in the press as "over 250" and "weighing 300." In other words, he was the size of a pro football lineman.
A fourth fact is that Brown was fresh from the robbery of a convenience store, involving a box of cigars, caught on surveillance camera. He was aware of this, even if the police officer who stopped him was not.
All of that, taken together, describes an ambiguous situation, one in which Mr. Brown may have thought he was about to be arrested for robbery or drug use, things of which he appears to have been guilty. He wouldn't have been the first individual with those concerns to act belligerently or erratically, particularly if his judgment was impaired by the drug.
A rush to judgment on the part of the community or the press is not indicated.
