Michael Brown memorial burned down
A memorial dedicated to the memory of a slain Ferguson, Missouri teen has been burned down.
Michael Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed black man, was fatally wounded by a white police officer on Aug. 9 as he walked home. A huge memorial of stuffed animals, T-shirts, posters, and other items grew in two places — in the middle of the street where Brown fell and died, and attached to a nearby pole.
Early this morning, the tree of stuffed animals that sprouted at the pole went up in flames, eventually reducing the giant pile to black ashes.
“You got a lot of upset people right now,” says neighborhood resident Markese Mull.
The fire is clearly not helping frayed nerves in the neighborhood, and though there are no details yet on the cause, residents are already suspicious that it was set intentionally and are angry at the cadre of Ferguson police officers who arrived on the scene first but did not put out the blaze. Ferguson firefighters arrived and ultimately extinguished it.
“Who would do some sh*t like that?” she says on the video.
Mull, who knew Brown and his family, says people in the neighborhood are already assuming the fire was set and dismisses the idea that the flames could have ignited from one of the candles that are sometimes seen at the memorials.
“The candles are usually lit in the middle of the street at night time and they’re usually put out,” he tells Daily RFT. “It’s usually some watchers out there putting it out. The watchers usually go in at a certain time.”
Candles were placed at the memorial, but they were not lit.
A spokesman for the city said that it’s too early to say what could have caused the fire.
Neighbors are already rebuilding the memorial. Several brought out new signs and toys. Check back for updates.
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