Michael Brown Was A Robbery Suspect? - Police Chief Give Details Of The Slain Black Teen

Ferguson, Missouri police has identified Darren Wilson as the police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager last weekend. Authorities had withheld the name, arguing they were concerned about the officer's safety. Police chief Thomas Jackson said Wilson, a six-year veteran of the force, has never had
disciplinary action taken against him. Jackson also revealed that there was a "strong-arm" robbery at a convenience store near where the shooting occurred.

Police had previously given no explanation for why Wilson chose to stop Brown and his friend on the street. Video of the robbery is going to be released later today, Jackson said.

Following the press conference, these photos were released by police of the convenience store robbery:::

Police say Brown was a robbery suspect before an officer shot him dead - CNN homepage http://t.co/K8EFVjvN5Q pic.twitter.com/OJIXloMZkN
— Carl Lavin (@FromCarl) August 15, 2014

According to Jackson, the officer was on a routine "sick call," accompanying an ambulance, at 11:48am on Sunday. Wilson then left the sick call after receiving word from dispatch about the robbery and a description of suspects. Wilson encountered Brown at 12:01pm and then a second officer arrived at 12:04pm, following the shooting.

He refused to answer questions this morning, saying he will hold another briefing in the afternoon. Witnesses and police have told different stories about how the shooting unfolded.

Police have said 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot after an officer encountered him and another man on the street. They say one of the men pushed the officer into his squad car, then physically assaulted him in the vehicle and struggled with the officer over the officer's weapon.

At least one shot was fired inside the car. The struggle then spilled onto the street, where Brown was shot multiple times. Witnesses have said the officer fired on Brown as he tried to run away, then fired the fatal shots after Brown had gone down to the ground with his hands up.

Protests last night were reported to be calmer than in previous days after the Missouri State Highway Patrol took over security on the streets. Police came under harsh criticism this week for their show of force, using military-style vehicles and pointing weapons at unarmed protesters.

On "Hannity" last night, Jackson said officers had been shot at during the protests, with other demonstrators throwing Molotov cocktails and rocks. He noted that the number of violent protesters was small overall.