Police Brutality / Individual record
Michael Brown
Unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by Ferguson officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014, sparking a nationwide movement for racial justice and police accountability.
- Record ID
- PB-071
- Incident date
- August 9, 2014
- Date of death
- August 9, 2014
- Outcome
- Fatal
- Location
- Ferguson, MO
- Agency
- Ferguson Police Department
- Category
- Police shooting
What happened
Michael Brown and a friend were walking on Canfield Drive when Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson confronted them from his patrol SUV on August 9, 2014. A struggle occurred near the driver's window, after which Brown moved away from the vehicle and Wilson fired more shots, killing him in the street. Accounts differed sharply about the final movements and whether Brown was attempting to surrender. Residents gathered as his body remained on the roadway for hours, and the killing ignited sustained demonstrations and scrutiny of Ferguson policing. A separate Justice Department investigation documented a pattern of unconstitutional municipal law-enforcement practices and racial discrimination, findings that remain central to understanding the case's broader significance.
Investigation & findings
A St. Louis County grand jury declined charges. A March 2015 DOJ criminal review determined it could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Wilson acted in violation of federal criminal civil-rights law; that is distinct from DOJ's separate findings of unconstitutional and racially discriminatory Ferguson police practices.
Last reviewed: October 25, 2026
Sources & records
- Primary source
- Additional source
- Methodology and national police killings trackingMapping Police Violence · Dataset/methodology