"Brown is the primary suspect in this incident." - police report

[Ms. Toad]

98. Absolutely.

All the robbery incident would add would be a justifiably heightened suspicion during their initial encounter, based on aggressive behavior in the immediately preceding half hour - but even then that is ONLY IF the policeman knew about it - because police are entitled to use what they know about someone's immediately preceding behavior to make life and death decisions on which their (or others') lives depend. But - from what the police captain said, it is likely the officer did not know, so it adds nothing even to that initial shot which must be judged based on whether the officer grabbed Brown - or Brown lunged into the car at the officer. If Brown acted aggressively, the first shot might have been justified.

Beyond that, neither the robbery, nor anything else I have heard, provides any justification at all for the second shot (or shots) while he was running away or the third shot (or shots) after Brown turned around, raised his hands, and said don't shoot.